


All These Things That I've Done

by PBBWriter



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-22
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-03-31 17:40:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 25,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3986944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PBBWriter/pseuds/PBBWriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been 15 years since Opie Winston and his family fled Charming with Amelia under their wing. How has life changed and what happened to force them out of the only home they knew? Their children want to know too and they'll keep digging until they find out.</p>
<p>**This is further on in my series, posting for a specific reason. You can surely read now but there are stories in between!**</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"What the hell is this?" Cora pulled out an unlocked vintage ammo box from the bottom of a random cardboard box in the garage. "The Sons of Anarchy," she whispered. Flipping through the pictures she paused, unsure she'd seen it correctly, and went back to find a photo of her mom and dad on a Harley. "Oh my God." She gathered the pictures and dashed into the house. "Scout!" She shouted. "Scout, where are you?"

"What?" The young man stumbled down the steps and, after seeing the photos, the resemblance between him and their father as a younger man was almost scary. Scout too was tall, almost as tall as his father but no where near as burly as Opie was at that age.

"Look at mom and dad." She slipped the photo across the kitchen counter. "I know Dad was in some shit, remember we used to joke about him and mom being in witness protection? Maybe we weren't far off."

"Cora." He looked over the pictures and although he was shocked and intrigued, Scout pushed them away. "Where did you find these?"

"Garage." She said guiltily. "Under Dad's tarp."

"So it was hidden?"

"Well yeah but come on, all the years of bullshit answers about his back and that time I asked them how they met for that family tree school project. I wanted to know what they were hiding."

Going through the rest of the pictures Scout blew out a big puff of air. "Maybe they hid it for a reason? Oh shit, is that Aunt Meels?"

"Yup," Cora grinned, "And look at this." She scattered the pile searching for one in particular. "Look at that guy."

It was a photo of Juice and Amelia, both beaming, holding a tiny bundle between them. "Shit, that's gotta be Gabe's dad."

"Yeah, exactly. There's a whole damn world they're hiding from us."

"I don't know, I feel bad about it." Scout was sulking and Cora rolled her eyes. Her younger brother was always a mama's boy. "It's mom, she's not some biker chick."

"Those tattoos lead me to believe she is or was." Cora never even thought of it until she had more proof than she ever imagined.

"Tattoos, yeah, but you know Mom, she doesn't even curse. Now Dad, he's straight up biker material. He could be a member of ZZ Top."

Cora shook her head. "You need to stop with those random ass references that no one gets. You're so weird."

"I blame the name, I was destined to be weird." He shrugged. "They'll be back tonight you know."

"I know. We're supposed to go to Gabe's for dinner too. I don't think we should tell him yet. You know how weird he gets about his dad, Aunt Meels is like a psycho with it."

"You aren't gonna let this go are you?" He asked as he pulled a carton of orange juice out of the fridge.

Cora laughed and shook her head as she text Gabe. "Hell no. I want to know man, we have a right to know."

"No we don't. You're just a brat and you're bitter Dad won't tell you."

She shrugged and walked off leaving the pictures on the counter. "I grabbed a cute one of Mom and Dad to keep for myself, take one if you want and put them back."

"Me?" He chased after her but Cora didn't pay any kind to his protests. "Fine but when Dad finds out I'm totally blaming you!"

\--

"Gabe," Amelia called to her son from the dining room. "I made you lunch, sweetie."

The teen bounced in the room with the tireless energy that Amelia envied. He sat, smiling broadly, and dug in immediately. "Thanks, Mom."

Watching him eat Amelia felt her heart swell and her eyes fill with tears. "You're welcome. Do you still need the car?"

"If it's cool with you, yeah."

"It's fine. Your aunt told me Cora had her driving privileges revoked. I guess that's why you asked?"

He smirked and nodded. "They're still coming tonight for dinner. Scout said he's been hungry since his folks left."

"I'll bet." She sat and smiled at her son.

"So, today would have been Dad's birthday."

"It is his birthday, it still is." She hung her head. "I know you're angry baby but you just don't understand. I can't tell you everything you want to know."

"Why?" He pushed his lunch away and stared at her accusingly. "You tell me I'm just like him, how much you love him and you miss him, but you don't tell me about him."

"I've told you so much about your dad, Gabe."

"You told me he was half black half and Puerto Rican but I guess you had to since that's who I am. All I really know is his name, that he was born in New York, died in California and that he loved us _very very much_." He used air quotes as he spoke the last three words since they were taken from Amelia's constant reminders of how much Juice loved Gabriel.

Amelia began to cry as she shook her head. "No Gabe, you're not listening. Every time I tell you that you have his sense of humor or that your smile lights up a room just like his did, or that you got your slick dance moves from him, that's me telling you about your dad."

The realization hit him hard and Amelia grimaced as she saw his face twist and his eyes fill with tears. "Oh. I'm a lot like Dad I guess."

"You have no idea. You're like his little clone."

"I'm sorry, Mom."

"What? Why?"

"I watched you miss him my entire life. Don't you like, hate, looking at me?"

"Gabriel Alexander Ortiz, don't you ever think that for a second. I love you, you're my baby. You have just as many traits of his as you do of mine. You remind me of him in the best ways but you are not your father. You're your own person so please don't think like that."

\--

"Maybe we should head home early?" Mae asked as she examined the streaks of gray in her hair. "It's Juice's birthday. I didn't even think of it when I booked the weekend."

Opie nodded. He knew what day it was. "You talk to her?"

"No, not since Friday. She sounded good though. Sometimes I get worried when she starts to lose control but she seemed solid."

"I don't know how she does it." Opie sat on the edge of the bed and hung his head. "If that was me again, with you, shit."

"You know I don't think she's had sex since he died." Mae looked at Opie in the mirror to gauge his reaction. His face was blank.

"You blame her?"

"No. I mean if it was you instead of Juice I guess I probably wouldn't either but I have no idea what that's like, that grief. I see people move on all the time, I encourage them too at work. You did."

"Juice and Amelia, me and you, that's different. You don't bounce back from what happened to him."

"I have no idea what she feels everyday."

"You don't want to know. I don't wanna know."

Mae nodded and joined him on the edge of the bed. "I love you, Harry. That shit is behind us and I know you feel guilty about what happened to Juice but you didn't kill him. The three of us got out with our kids and we're safe and happy. You have to admit, Juice would be thrilled to see us living like this and to know Amelia isn't alone, this is what he wanted for both of them."

"You're right." He pulled her close and kissed her cheek. "Give Meels a call, see how she's doing and if you think we should go early, we will. I'm gonna jump in the shower."


	2. Chapter 2

"I'll help you with the dishes, Aunt Meels." Cora stood and began gathering plates receiving a stern look from her brother. They spent the afternoon googling the Sons of Anarchy and she was more rabid than before.

Gabe jumped up too and Scout followed not wanting to look lazy although he was exhausted. His sister was already spouting off when he stepped into the kitchen.

"Thank you for your help, I can handle it. Your parents are going to be here in a little while. Go watch TV okay?"

The boys hurried off but Cora remained and gave Amelia a hug. "I'm sorry. I know what today is." Now Cora meant that, she felt for her aunt and the obvious pain she lived with but that wouldn't stop her from finding out all about what happened.

"That is very sweet. Thank you. You don't remember him, do you?"

Cora pulled a face. "Maybe, a little? I'm sorry."

"It's okay. You loved him when you were a toddler, right before he died. JC loved you kids."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Seeing him with you and your brother and of course Gabe, was amazing. I think I have a picture."

She turned and reached up on top of the fridge to grab a thick pile of photos. "Oh here." Handing Cora a picture of Juice at Cora's first birthday party holding a newborn Scout. The second pregnancy was unexpected, Scout was conceived when Cora was barely four months, but it was a blessing in disguise.

"He was super cute." She giggled. "Where was this?"

Amelia knew Cora and Scout were told much less than she was willing to share with Gabe. "Your first birthday." She took the picture back. "Go watch TV. Your parents will be here soon."

Cora was disappointed but she'd seen a side of Amelia she appreciated and even enjoyed. When the eldest of the kids left Amelia started the dishes robotically as her mind floated to other, darker places...

14.5 years before

_"No." Amelia whispered in disbelief as Chibs, tears filling his eyes and covered in blood, tried to tell her the horrible truth of what happened._

_"Love," his voice cracked. "Tara couldn't do anything; he bled out before the ambulance came. I'm so sorry, Meely. I loved him too."_

_Before she could collapse, Chibs caught Amelia, her face pressed against his cut as she wailed. "Please," she cried. "Please Chibs, I need him."_

_When her nails dug into the back of his arm, he finally broke down with her. The sting of her clawing at him unleashed the pain he held in since holding Juice as he died slowly in the back of the van. Chibs loved Juice like a brother, even a son. "Come on now, dear. Breathe, calm down." He stroked her hair as they sank down to the floor, both mourning. Amelia's sobs shook her body violently, her breath caught in her throat._

_"I can't," she said. "He's my..." She stopped, unsure of how she could ever describe what Juice was to her._

_"I'm sorry," Chibs choked out as guilt and sorrow suffocated him. "We thought it would be an easy job."_

_"What?" She could barely see him, her eyes swollen and blurry with tears. "What happened?" It was only then she wondered how before she was too consumed by the outcome rather than the events leading to it._

_"A hit, Jax sent us in to take out one of the Niners that flipped. Juice wanted to do it, the asshole was supposed to be unarmed, alone."_

_"Jax set it up?" She asked. Her sorrow was suddenly on fire, morphing into a dull rage. Chibs nodded and Amelia knew Jax went back on his word. "Take me to see him, I want to see JC."_

\--

"Gabe, what are you doing for spring break?" Cora asked as she popped into the den.

Gabe looked at her confused and shrugged. "What you're looking to go to Cancun? We don't do spring break, we never did. You're not even eighteen yet."

"Plus, you keep getting caught smoking and Mom isn't gonna let you go to prom."

Cora rolled her eyes and squeezed between them on the couch. "God, I friggin wish one of you losers was a girl."

"You shouldn't smoke." Gabe said sincerely. "That whole thing from when you were a baby and your asthma." The doe eyed look he gave her made Scout retch.

"Give it up, Gabe." Scout groaned.

\--

"Hey Meels." Opie grinned as he stepped into the house and gave her a huge hug. They hadn't been so close, even as kids, but Opie and Amelia grew into a comfortable sibling type relationship. "How are you?"

"Living." She shrugged and hugged Mae. "How was the anniversary weekend?"

"It was really nice. Harry stuck out like a sore thumb but that's kind of why I love him."

"Here, I got a bottle of wine for you guys, mainly for Mae."

The girls popped open the bottle while Opie cracked open a beer. "The kids okay?"

"Yeah. Cora was poking around about JC but there was no issues they needed me for. She's almost eighteen, he's going to seventeen soon, they don't need me watching over them."

"They do." Opie grumbled. "Kenny and Ellie at that age were fucking saints compared to Cora."

\--

"So it's not that far. We could go, do a little star searching and be home before any of them realize we're actually out of state."

The boys were skeptical. "You remember when you tricked us into taking your dad's truck?" Gabe asked with a chuckle. "Oh, it's okay, he knows. Yeah, he didn't know."

"Come on guys. I'll go myself if you don't."

"No." Scout groaned. "You're not going out there alone. California and Kansas are totally different places."

She raised an eyebrow and nodded. "That's the point. So come on Gabe, you in?"


	3. Chapter 3

Amelia stepped into the garage with a pile of invoices. "Hey," she waved at Opie. "I need your help."

"I'm not the fucking brain." He wiped his hands on his pants and walked with her back into the office. "What's up?"

"You told me to give Mrs. Wilcox a break but it's not my call how much. She's coming in this afternoon to pick up her car."

Opie groaned and looked at the invoice. "I don't know. What's reasonable?"

"At that price, like 10% I guess."

"Alright, whatever, do it up. How are the books?"

"We're booming actually." Amelia beamed. "Business hasn't been this good since we opened."

He was already on his way back into the garage but Opie stopped and turned back to Amelia. "Thanks for your help. I couldn't have done this shit without you." When he hugged her Amelia smiled despite feeling the urge to cry.

"No problem."

"You good?"

"Yeah," she smoothed out her shirt and nodded. "I'm good. You can stop asking me that."

"Dad." Kenny poked his head in the office and tossed his cell and keys to him. "Mamie called, you gotta pick Cora up."

"What happened?"

"She got in a fight, Mamie can't leave work or she'd go."

"Jesus Christ." He growled. "Alright. You two good while I go wring that girl's neck?"

"Don't be a dick," Kenny said. "She's acting out for a reason."

"Who do you think you are?" Opie asked annoyed by his son's sudden maturity and insight.

"Hey, maybe Mae rubbed off on me. Go, me and Meels can handle it."

\--

Cora didn't have a mark on her when Opie saw her outside the dean's office. He scowled at his daughter, her uniform wrinkled and stockings ripped.

"You are in such shit, Cora." He whispered just before they joined the dean. She closed the office door and both father and daughter swallowed hard. Opie hated the stuffy feel in the office it reminded him of his own troubles in school. Jax was always by his side.

"Mr. Winston, I was expecting Mrs. Winston."

"She couldn't leave work." He explained and was fully aware the school would much rather deal with Mae than him.

"It was self-defense." Cora suddenly said. "They were ganging up on me in the cafeteria bathroom."

"Care to explain why you were in the bathroom?" The Dean asked with a skeptical eye.

"No."

"Were you smoking?" He asked.

Opie hated being such a dick and feeling like such a hypocrite but he'd quit when she was born because of her breathing issues. Those issues only progressed as she got older and now it much more than the usual cigarette risks. Asthma attacks were very real and always hospital worthy as well as shortness of breath and even fainting when it got too bad. He didn't understand why she continue to gamble.

"She was. The other girls said they were going to report her and that was when Cora decided to get physical. Mr. Winston, your son is truly a joy to have here at Saint Ignatius but I'm not sure Cora is thriving quite as well."

Looking at the dean with an angry stare he nodded. "I'll work it out. Cora won't be an issue any longer for you, I promise."

They left not long after and as soon as Opie shit the truck door he looked at Cora with disappointment in his eyes. "Do you know how bad your mom worked to get you in that damn school? All the money we saved up to pay that tuition? We want more for you than we had and you're just throwing it away. What are you trying to be some rebel?"

"Maybe it's in my blood?" She sneered. "Maybe I'll go out and buy a motorcycle?"

Opie ignored her and started back towards the shop. "Where are we going?"

"I have work to do. You can sit with Amelia and scan the invoices. How's that sound?"

"Like a damn blast."

\--

Cora didn't open her mouth while she worked with Amelia. She barely even acknowledged the woman at all until Kenny came into the office for coffee.

"Free labor. What is this a child labor camp?"

"Feels like it." Cora mumbled.

Amelia rolled her eyes and excused herself. Dramatic teens were not her thing despite having been much worse than Cora, although Amelia had her reasons where as Cora was just bored.

"Can I ask you a question?" Cora sat at the desk and eyed her older half-brother. Kenny knew what it was going to be about but he nodded anyway. "What's with Dad and all the shady shit, the blacked out tattoos and the mystery about California?"

"You need to let that shit die, Cora." Kenny snapped unexpectedly. "California was shitty, dangerous. Dad and Mamie moved here to bumblefuck Lawrence, Kansas to keep us safe."

Taken aback, Cora stared at him with her mouth hanging open. "Damn, Kenny. How bad could it really have been?"

"You don't know shit but this place. You have no idea. You ever wonder what happened to my mom? Why I never mentioned her?"

"Well, her and Dad got divorced and I just figured she, well, that she just peaced out."

Kenny's face turned dark and his cheek grew puffy. "No she didn't just peace out. She's fucking dead and Dad did everything he could to keep us safe and away from that shit. Respect him and Mamie, they deserve it more than anyone. Your shitty behavior is like a slap in the face."

\--

"You ever wonder about that shit Cora brought up last week?" Gabe and Scout were walking the mile home instead of waiting on the bus.

Scout shrugged. "Sometimes but I feel like it's hidden for a reason. I mean with what happened to your dad it's obviously intense."

"Yeah." Gabe kicked at some rocks as they walked. "I want to know though. I feel bad for my mom, if she knew we started getting into that shit she'd be so upset."

"Mama's boy." Scout laughed and shoved Gabe.

"Me? You too, you dick."

"I don't think it matters. Cora got sent home for fighting. If she thinks she's sneaking all the way to California without my parents knows she's crazy"

"She'll still try."

"Yeah I know."

That was exactly what Scout feared. He wouldn't tell Gabe about the Sons of Anarchy or about what Google had to say about the biker club. Not only would it be crushing to hear his dad was probably a criminal but the articles terrified Scout.


	4. Chapter 4

"I don't want to discuss it tonight." Mae's bare feet slapped against the tile on the kitchen as she worked on dinner. "Ellie and Kenny are coming for dinner and I want to enjoy having everyone together. Got me?"

Cora nodded, her arms were crossed over her chest and her hip cocked out to the side. "Yep. Got you."

Mae remembered so many nights she glided around the kitchen humming happily while she made dinner for her family. Those nights seemed like a distant memory as she chided her daughter.

"This was all we wanted for you." Mae felt her cheeks begin to burn. "You don't know what we did to bring you and your siblings out here. What we went through in California."

"Tell me!" Cora suddenly snapped. "I want to know everything. You and Dad act like I'm some baby but I'm not. I SHOULD know, shouldn't I? Maybe I could learn from your mistakes?"

With a fire burning in her chest, Mae slammed the spatula on the counter and turned to her daughter. "I was addicted to heroin for a while before I met your dad. I had drug dealers wanting to kill me because I witnessed some stuff they and I wish I hadn't." She'd tell her anything else before mentioning the club no matter how it hurt or how embarrassing it was.

"You were a druggie?" Cora looked disgusted. "Jesus Mom. That's gross."

"You little-"

"What's going on?" Opie heard the heated argument from the other room and, in his basketball shorts and usual grey T-shirt, he knew he was needed. He came just in time as Mae was about to lose her temper.

"Mom is sharing some family secrets." Cora sneered. "Is that why we left California? Mom couldn't stay clean?"

"Hey!" Opie snapped. "Don't you ever talk about your mom like that. We left because of me. Your mom got clean on her own, without anyone's help, you're lucky to have a strong woman like that as your mother."

"What did you do?" Cora turned on her father now seeing how their anger seemed to be the only way to get some secrets out. She felt bad, awful actually, but in the heat of the moment she couldn't shut her mouth.

Opie opened his mouth to speak when Kenny and Ellie and Ellie's boyfriend entered the house. "It smells good Mamie," she said excitedly besides the tension in the room hit her. "Everything okay?"

Ellie knew the feeling, Kenny did too. They lived with the tension the entire last year of their lives in Charming.

\--

_Roughly 17 years before..._

_"What are you doing?" Mae asked Stahl as she ghosted around the front of the Winston house. "If anyone sees you I'm dead."_

_"Calm down." Stahl said pushing her way into the house. "I just wanted to make sure you're still on target. I'm skittish, you understand, after everything. I get the need for secrecy, nothing on paper until right before we move you, but you need to give me more than this."_

_"I'm scared." Mae said in a harsh whisper. "If they knew they'd kill me and Opie. I have most everything you need but I can't give it to you and I can't sign anything until you set us up far away from here."_

_"Do they suspect anything?" Stahl looked around the living room aimlessly and nudged the empty infant swing with a short laugh._

_"No. Not even Opie."_

_"You're a good liar. You do know if he doesn't cooperate he goes away too."_

_Mae sank down into the couch and nodded. "I know. I'll talk to him. I'll get him to understand. He wants out he said we'd get out but there's so much he says he needs to accomplish. I can't wait."_

_"I checked out the adoption paperwork. My boss is on board, you'll have no problems taking Kenny and Ellie as well as Scout and Cora. He'll try, I'm assuming if he goes down with the Sons, to strip your rights to them but he won't win."_

_"Okay."_

_"I'm sorry," Stahl softened a little. "I'm sure this is hard for you."_

_"You have no idea."_

\--

Amelia and Gabe sat having dinner quietly. Usually he was chattering away but that night the boy was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Mom?" The boy suddenly said. "How did Dad die?"

"Anything I tell you at this table, stays at this table. You promise?"

"I promise."

Putting her silverware down, Amelia pushed her plate away and went off into the kitchen. Her phone happened to ring while she was there but no one responded when she answered. Ignoring it she arrived back at the table and handed Gabe a few photos he had never seen of his father.

"He was murdered. He was trying to protect me. We thought it was safe but we trusted the wrong people and your father paid the price."

Gabe didn't look at his mom as he obsessed over every photo. "You were beautiful."

"Thank you."

"How did he die? Who did it? Did he suffer?"

"Baby," Amelia shook her head. "You don't want to know this stuff."

"I do." His face grew puffy when he frowned, just like Juice's did, and Amelia broke down. "Please mom, tell me."

"He didn't suffer." She lied. "He was shot and he died instantly." The memory of Chibs telling her how Juice bled out in his arms replayed and she felt sick for lying to him. "He was a good man and he loved us very much. The day you were born was the happiest I've ever seen him. We didn't find out if you were a boy or a girl before, we wanted to wait. When the doctor said we had a baby boy your dad jumped in the air, I'm not exaggerating. He said he wanted a little girl next."

Gabe smiled sadly and nodded. He loved the stories and she loved to tell them but it was painful. "Can I keep these?"

"Yes, you can."

"May I be excused please?"

"You may."

Gabe kissed his mother's cheek and bolted up to his bedroom. He was more on board with Cora now than ever.

 


	5. Chapter 5

"Everything is fine." Opie said as he gave Ellie a hug and a kiss, shook her boyfriend's hand then gave his son a hard slap on the back. "Right?" He glared over his shoulder at Cora and she nodded.

"You're early, I'm not even changed yet." Mae said with embarrassment as she greeted her oldest children and Ellie's boyfriend.

"Mamie, you're fine." Ellie said with a wink. "Where's Scout?"

Mae looked at Opie and he shrugged. "His room I guess, I know he didn't leave. Maybe the garage? We're rebuilding a Monte Carlo, he's obsessed with it."

"Cor, let's go get that lazy punk."

Opie gave Ellie a warning look but she just smiled sweetly at her father and took off with Cora. Kenny and Scott, Ellie's boyfriend, sat with Opie and started on their beers.

—

"What the hell was that about?" Ellie asked as they reached the landing.

"The usual." Cora shrugged. "Found out Mom was a nasty junkie."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "You think Dad was a saint?"

"No I just didn't think drugs, like ever, more like some crazy diamond heist."

"You're watching too much TV. It wasn't glamorous."

The girls bypassed Scout's room and Cora locked her bedroom door behind them. "Was Mom all strung out?"

"No. I didn't even know until they found Kenny smoking weed. She gave us this big speech about addiction and how she didn't want us to go down that path by using anything harder. I was totally shocked and she was mortified. I still smoked off and on but when I was offered shit in college I kept seeing Mamie's face crying about that shit and I knew not to. I didn't believe it at first actually. When she first came around me and Kenny loved her, hated Dad, but loved Mae."

"Why did you hate Dad?" As much as Scout was a Momma's Boy, Cora and Opie were close until she hit the dramatic, rebellious teenage years. She used to be the classic Daddy's Little Girl.

"He got weird when my mom was killed. He was dating a porn star and she'd baby sit all the time. It was a nightmare. Mae was our counselor in school and she used to be so mean to him when he'd shove us off on grandma or Lyla."

Cora laughed at that, she never had the chance to see Mae put Opie in his place. By the time she was born they were comfortable and settled in their relationship.

"Hmm. I always looked at Mom as the little woman, bowing to Dad and shit. A porn star though? That's nasty, worse than a recovering addict I think."

"Yeah right, totally." Ellie laughed. "So what did you find out?"

Cora popped up and pulled the printed news articles from under her mattress. "Pictures in the garage and those led me to this."

"Oh yeah, this is all true. Dad was in prison for like five years, that was way before all this though. I was really little."

"He was?" Cora's voice was sharp as she looked at Ellie with disbelief. "For what?"

"Arson."

"Damn."

"Yeah. The Sons are not guys to fuck with. I don't know a lot about what went down before we moved. They kept it quiet but the club was way more than a club. Dad's a bad dude, well he's a good one but he can be dangerous and he's got a colorful past. I don't know specifics but Dad was a professional criminal for like twenty years. Whatever happened to send him out here must have been nasty."

"You wanna find out?" Cora asked with a devious grin.

"No. I don't but I don't think that's gonna stop you."

"It's not."

"Alright. I'll help you out but if Dad and Mamie find out I won't cover. I know a few names that might help."

—

16 years before...

_"He's beautiful." Amelia said dreamily as she held Gabriel close. "Look at his hair, it's a natural little Mohawk like his daddy."_

_The newborn as a thick tuft of tight curly hair right in the middle of his head. Juice laughed and nodded, taking in the last twenty four hours as he quietly looked at his wife and child. After the brutal labor and delivery Amelia couldn't even think of seeing anyone, even her father, and so they told the club members not to come by right away._

_"I think it's time we introduce this guy to his family, what do you say, Daddy?"_

_"Sounds good. Let me make some calls, I'll be right back, Meely." He kissed both her and Gabe before heading out to make a few phone calls. Not everyone knew Amelia had gone into labor and it was time to share the good news._

_Not long after he stepped out a delivery boy stepped in with a huge bouquet of flowers. Amelia was taken by surprise but extremely excited. The fact that the birth was still pretty much a secret didn't enter her mind as she read the short card. Her excitement drained seeing they were from Keith's family, it was impossible to believe his family would acknowledge the wedding or new child but they clearly did._

_As Juice paced the front lobby on his phone a man passed by with a tight smile. He pointed to the large hospital band on Juice's wrist which served as identification for the nursery so he could see his son and take him to and from Amelia's room as well as provided him with free parking and free roam after visiting hours._

_"New baby?" The stranger asked._

_"Uhh, yeah." Juice moved the phone from his face._

_"It's a blessing. Really gives you a reason to do the right thing. Doesn't it?"_

_Juice screwed his face up as he looked at the stranger and nodded. "Hey brother," he turned away as Tig answered his phone. "Meels is ready for visitors if you want to meet your grandson."_

—

Gabe hung up with Cora and nervously went down to his find his mom. She was on her laptop, her glasses hanging on the edge on her nose.

"Hey Mom, can I ask you something?"

Looking suspiciously over her glasses at Gabe she nodded and shut her computer. "Of course you can."

"Cora and Scout want to go camping next weekend at Hickory. I think Ellie and her boyfriend are going too so we won't be alone."

"Oh. Umm. Let me talk to your Aunt and Uncle, okay?"

"Sure." He felt his palms growing sweaty as she looked at him with an intense stare. "You know, I know you love Dad but I don't like you being so lonely."

"I'm not lonely, baby. I'm just fine."

Gabe didn't believe her but he turned to call Scout right back about their plans for a secret trip out west. When Amelia heard his bedroom door shut she opened her laptop again and realized he was right. She closed the DVD player, right in the middle of watching her and Juice's wedding video and checked her email before ordering a pizza for dinner.

She scanned them, a few were work related and another was a dinner request from one of her gym friends but the last was not an email address he knew. The subject line was empty and when she opened it there was just one word.

"Hi."


	6. Chapter 6

"Welcome to Charming. Our name says it all." Cora read as they coasted passed the sign their parents tried desperately to keep them from ever seeing. "Ironic, yeah?"

Scout nodded and rolled down his window. "It smells different here." He smiled. "I kind of like it."

"Better enjoy while you can, your dad is gonna kill you guys when we get back." Gabe was pouting in the backseat not nearly as excited as the other two. Part of him dreaded finding out the truth and another part felt awfully guilty for lying to his mom.

"Yeah well Aunt Meels can be a psycho, you'll get it too." Scout countered.

"Shut up, guys. We gotta plan this perfectly we only have, like, thirty-six hours before we have to be at the train station again." As soon as they stepped off the train in Oakland Cora felt anxious, scared even as she rented the car with her fake ID, she knew they'd be caught but it was important to her.

"What's your sneaky little plan?" Scout asked as he fiddled with his phone.

"Well, Ellie said they use that garage as a home base. I was thinking we'd get a flat tire and go there but Gabe can't, we gotta stash him somewhere."

"What?" He grabbed the back of her seat and gave it a rough shake. "You're not leaving me somewhere. I wanna know this shit too, Cora."

Annoyed, Cora pulled off to the shoulder and glared back at Scout. "Relax, shit, you're an idiot. You look like your dad, like creepily so; you think no one will think that? If it was as crazy of a time as Ellie says they'll have your dad's face burned into their brains."

"I wanna go Cora." He said staunchly as he stood up for himself for one of the first times ever. "Please?"

"Cor," Scout said quietly. "Come on, don't be a bitch."

"Fine." She snapped. "Whatever. It's on you if we get killed."

—

"I don't feel right about this." Mae sighed as she folded the giant basket of laundry between her knees. "Camping like that, it makes me nervous."

Grunting, Opie flipped the channels on the TV aimlessly. "I went camping as a kid, out by the cabin with uhh, you know, him. We have the house to ourselves for a change, I don't mind it."

"You just want to pin me above the fireplace again." She said with a sly smile. "You're not as young as you used to be, Harry, I don't know if you could hold me for that amount of time. Then again, you don't last as long as you used to."

Incredulous, Opie got to his feet and flung Mae over his shoulder. "You wanna say that again?"

"Which part; the old man part or the two pump chump thing?" Giggling hysterically Mae smacked at him as he brought her toward the kitchen.

Slapping her ass hard, Opie laid her down on the breakfast bar and climbed up over her. "Doesn't matter, I'm going to prove both wrong."

"I'm gonna have to bleach this when we're done." She said breathlessly as he kissed her stomach.

—

"Why didn't I ever pay attention when he explained computer shit to me?" Amelia mumbled as she opened up yet another email from the same mysterious address as the week before. "That was so long ago though."

The original email simply said 'Hi' and she responded with the same. After that, it became more when the stranger asked how she was. Amelia said she was fine and asked return.

"I'm okay." She read aloud and promptly deleted the email. "I'm insane, I need a goddamn life before Gabe gets married and has kids."

Shutting the laptop lid, she went to get dressed for drinks with a few friends but she couldn't stop obsessing over the emails. "Stop," she chided herself. "Just stop."

—

"How the hell did this happen?" Thomas asked as Cora showed him the slashed tire. He knew it was not the usual tow and flat repair as soon as he saw it.

Cora smiled and shrugged. "No idea. I was in the gas station and found it like that. Crazy right?"

"Yeah, crazy." He tossed his cigarette into the street and looked her up and down. "I'm Thomas; my Dad owns the shop so I know what I'm doing."

"Cora." She grinned. "See that would make me think you don't know what you're doing and it's just a pity job."

Thomas laughed and scratched at the stubble along his jaw. "Real funny, Miss Cora. So where you really from you sure as shit don't sound like you're a native."

"Kansas," she said quickly. Scout shook his head from the curb and rolled his eyes. He knew the look, she was crushing on this kid and because of that gave away a few pieces of information they had decided to keep a secret. Even her name was too much. "City, Missouri," she stuttered to cover herself.

"Yeah? What's Missouri like?" He asked as he began working to change the tire. "You know what, I'll put the spare on for you but you should come in to switch it out for a whole new one. If you drive it in, you don't have to pay for the tow."

Cora grinned and watched him as he jacked up the rental. "Cool."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flashback Chapter...

_*Eight months after Cora was born/Seventeen years ago*_

"What's done is done." Stahl explained to Mae. "Your kids are safe at home right now, you sign this packet and give your statement then we'll pick them up and ship you out."

"Does anyone know we're together?" Anxiously Mae looked out the window as she and Stahl raced toward Stockton.

"Mae, I told you. No one knows about this deal."

"Okay." She nodded. "Not even David?"

"He may have an idea, you know he's a smart man, but he's not the one you have to worry about."

"I just don't want him getting involved."

Stahl frowned and huffed. "He's meeting us. I needed back up I knew I could trust."

"What?!" Mae gripped the door in a panic. "No, June, no. This is done. Call him off or let me out now."

"What's going on? He's meeting us a mile up."

Mae began to panic, her breathing became erratic as she screamed for Stahl to stop. "Please, pull over!"

"You can trust Hale. All he wants is to help you get out." Stahl swerved as a black panel van sped up beside her and Mae. "Jesus Christ." As they reached a bend in the road the van moved closer and the driver attempted to force Stahl to pull over. Had she not known Hale was waiting she would have pulled over but Stahl sped up hoping to reach him, it was the single worst thing to do.

As they reached the bend, a half mile before they were supposed to meet Hale, Stahl swerved as soon as the panel van hung back. She lost control and sideswiped David as he sat on the hood of his civilian vehicle. Her town car spun out only stopping as it smashed into the guardrail.

"Mae!" Opie hollered as he flew from the van with Jax following close. "Mae?"

She stumbled out, a cut above her forehead, and dropped to her knees. "I'm sorry."

"We gotta move." He grumbled angrily as Half-Sack pushed Stahl's unconscious body to the passenger seat and started the car again. "Sack, take her."

"Oh my God, David." Mae scurried beside David Hale's lifeless body as Opie and Jax shouted furiously between themselves. The plan had gone to complete shit from the second they got it off the ground and the one man they expected to be dying in the middle of that damn road was David Hale.

"Mae we gotta go." Opie screamed but she ignored him as she stroked David's cheek. They had once been lovers but over the last year he'd become a close friend whom she loved dearly. "Now."

"I'm sorry, Dave. I'm sorry."

Jax roughly grabbed Mae around the waist and hoisted her up. "Go, Ope. Get your kids. I got her."

"I'll take her." He said forcefully. "And don't grab my wife like that again." Taking Mae in his arms, Opie glared hatefully at Jax and didn't try to hide it for a second.

Brushing it off Jax just nodded. "Alright," he looked at Hale with a smirk. "This'll take care of itself."

"Hit and run?" Opie said as he held Mae from getting back to the body.

"That's why you're my VP."

\--

_*Months later*_

"Care to share?" Amelia asked Roosevelt as he pulled her over only a few blocks after dropping three month old Gabriel off at Tara's. "I haven't done shit."

"I was hoping you and I could have a talk, Mrs. Ortiz."

"About what?"

"Your father and your new husband."

Amelia did as Roosevelt asked and followed him to the station. She knew what Juice would say if she was able to ask him; playing nice and doing what they wanted was the easier way out.

She sat in Hale's old office, Roosevelt behind a new expensive desk, waiting for him to start.

"You grew up in this town, didn't you?"

"I did."

"With Tig Trager?"

"Yes, I spent some time with my mom but generally my dad was the better parent and I spent the bulk of my childhood with him."

"And how exactly does Herman Kozik feel about that? About being left out of the equation?"

Amelia tensed but tried to keep her panic hidden. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."

"Does Trager know? Does he know he's not the daddy?"

"He is my dad, biologically he knows he isn't but he will always be my dad."

"That's sweet, it really is. He knows he's not but does he know who is?"

"What do you want?" She snapped.

"It's not me, there are other interested parties though. I think you know what the goal of this sit down is. You know we know and we might have to pull that some time very soon."

"You think that Kozik being my bio dad is a big enough deal for me to rat on my family and my husband? You're out of your goddamn mind."

Roosevelt smiled and nodded, his index finger pointed at her. "Maybe not but yours isn't the only paternity that could...shake things up, if you will."

"Juice is Gabriel's father, go ahead and test him. Christ, the boy looks just like him. Besides, I'd never cheat on my husband."

"Close but I'm thinking another generation, his paternal grandfather to be exact."


	8. Chapter 8

Cora pulled into TM with Scout and Gabe. She was pissed and actually thought of ditching him right there at the gas station but Scout would never allow it. Thomas jumped out of the truck first and strutted back to her.

"Shouldn't take too long but you can hang out while I have someone change it? Maybe we can grab a beer?" He nodded toward the clubhouse. "Your friends can come."

She hated that. "My little brothers, one blood one not, they can hang out here, they're not legal anyway." Turning she stuck her tongue out at the boys as they watched from a few feet away.

"You sure? We have soda and water if they're interested."

"They're not." She answered quickly.

When Thomas and Cora entered the clubhouse she felt like she was thrust into the pictures she'd found. Everything was updated but barely and she recognized the aged faces of more than a few men. The wall of mugshots intrigued her but her father's, turned upside down, made her stomach churn awkwardly. He was so young in the photo it made her sad. A few spaces from his photo was one of Gabe's dad but that was hardly surprising.

"So what is this place? Back home most shops don't have a club and a full bar as a waiting area for customers."

"Thomas," Jax interrupted with a smile and a wink for Cora. She grinned at his charm despite his age but knew he was not a good man. "I'm heading out, keep an eye on the new prospect, he's making me question it."

"I got you, Dad. We'll talk later."

"We will." Jax said as he squeezed Thomas' shoulder before heading back out to his bike.

"Ahh the boss man." Cora sipped her beer slowly. "Are you guys close?"

"Pretty damn close, yeah. So what are you and your little brothers doing here?"

Cora wished she could be straight with him, he seemed like sweet guy but she knew better than to blab everything at the first smile.

"Sight seeing, having fun." She shrugged. "The Sons of Anarchy." The words were dark and ominous. "Sounds intimidating."

\--

Scout and Gabe were still milling about but attempting to keep a lower profile than Cora intended to. They were huddled off talking and eagerly looking around when Jax strutted out to his bike.

"Shit, look at that guy. I've see pictures of him." Scout said taken aback by Jax's confidence and swagger. "That's why I can't ask Lindsey to prom, I walk like a fucking monkey and he walks like some tough ass fucking pimp."

"He looks like a douche."

"Girls go for douches." Scout said sadly.

"What are you two doing? Who are you?" Chibs wandered over and that action called Jax's attention. He popped off his bike again and joined the Scot, something was up he could just see it when he looked at those two.

"Everything alright?" Jax asked with a smarmy grin. His eyes burned through Gabe as he tried to put figure out why he didn't like the young man already.

"Yeah," Scout stuttered. "Just waiting for my sister and her car."

"I got this Jackie." Chibs said confidently and although Jax couldn't place the odd feeling he got he nodded and left. "Who are you?" Chibs asked Gabe with anger. "Who sent you here?"

"No one. We're waiting," he said in fear.

"You boyo, need to get off this lot and don't either of you little shites think about coming back."

"We're customers." Scout said defensively. "Maybe if you'd work faster we could be out of here."

"Customers?" Chibs laughed and shook his head. "You are much more than that and I know it. Get lost."

He turned and went into the clubhouse fuming. He knew those boys were Opie's and Juice's sons but the why was much more important. "Tommy," he shouted putting on a much happier tone.

"Hey brother," Thomas beamed and pointed to Cora. "This is Cora, Cora this is Chibs."

Chibs looked at Cora and immediately saw Mae. "You need to take those boys off the lot."

"What did they do?" She asked horrified and ready to rip them apart. "I'm sorry, they are such little assholes."

"The three of you need to run on home. All the way home."

"What's going on?" Thomas asked as he his feet hit the floor.

"This doesn't concern you." Chibs barked at Thomas.

"I should go." Cora's voice faltered under Chibs' dark stare.

"I'll go with you." Defiant, just like his father, Thomas followed Cora out to the lot. "I'm sorry. I don't know what got into that old man."

"He's right. I should go."


	9. Chapter 9

When Amelia popped over to Opie and Mae's the latter was cleaning the breakfast bar while the former mocked her for something. Amelia couldn't catch it before Opie quickly shut up.

"Sorry." She pulled an apologetic face and closed the door quietly. "Did I interrupt?"

"No." Mae smiled at Opie. "Just doing some cleaning."

"And proving some claims wrong." Opie added. "Right, babe?"

"Whatever you say, Harry."

Amelia looked between them and decided it was better not to ask. "Have you heard from the kids? Gabe was supposed to call me around dinner time and he hasn't. I'm trying to cut the cord but really it's not too much to ask for a call, right?"

"It's not too much." Mae commiserated. "Cora was supposed to call but Scout text me not too long ago."

"They're okay?"

"Perfectly fine." Opie was annoyed,not by Amelia, but by the kids and their attitudes. "Part of me thinks we should have stayed in Charming so we didn't raise spoiled brats." Mae shot him a dirty look and Opie back peddled quickly. "I was kidding, I wanted out more than anyone."

"More than me?" Amelia asked quietly. "I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time. I miss my dad and JC and I'm just," she stopped. "Pathetic. Harry, does Mike still have a crush on me?" It took years to get used to being called Harry by anyone other than Mae but it was just another step he used to sever that part of himself.

"Yeah." His eyebrows scrunched together as he looked at her. "Why?"

"Maybe we could all go out? Dinner or something?"

"Meels, are you sure?"

She didn't even try to smile. "I think it's about time guys." Without another word Amelia slipped out of the Winston home and headed back to her car. Her phone rang and with relief and excitement she answered. "Gabe?" Silence. The mystery caller closed their eyes at the sound of her voice. "Gabriel is that you?" She pulled the phone from her ear to see the ID come up as 'Unknown'. "Goddamn automated calls." She cursed and hung up.

The caller dropped the phone just as Chibs entered the room and spoke unsettling words. "We have a problem."

\--

Cora marched into the hotel room she had just rented with Scout and Gabe on her heels. She sat them down with a furious stone look on her face.

"If either of you losers ruin this for me I'm going to kill you both. I swear to God, guys, seriously. He could tell us so much just don't be assholes." As soon as she said it Thomas knocked on the door and Cora blew a big puff of air out from her mouth.

"I can't believe you invited him here." Scout said fearfully. "That guy with the accent, I think he knows."

Before answering, Cora shot Scout a death glare. "Shut up. You're mute tonight." Putting on a bright smile she opened the door. "Hey."

"Hey, I brought beer." He raised his arm to show off the case of beer he'd picked up on his way to the motel.

She stepped aside and let him in while staring at the boys. "That's sweet, thanks."

"Here." He tore open the cardboard and tossed the boys each a beer. "I'm Thomas," he was overwhelmingly polite and kind.

"Alex," Gabe said timidly. When Scout didn't speak, Gabe jabbed him hard in the ribs. He just hoped Scout would remember to use a less obvious name than his own.

"Hey man, I'm Ben."

Thomas nodded with a bright smile and handed Cora a beer. "They're not too bad."

"You don't know them like I do." She rolled her eyes. "So whatever was up with that guy? He went nuts."

"Chibs is fucking crazy." Thomas said swallowing a gulp of beer. "He's great, don't get me wrong, I love the guy but sometimes he gets weird. Him and my dad run the club, me and my brother joke it's the pressure."

Cora smiled as he spoke. "So you know the pain I suffer with these guys?"

"Nah, sorry, Abel is older and were best friends."

"You're lucky. I have an older step-brother but he moved out when I was like ten."

They chatted and drank, talking about the club and lying about life in Missouri, until Scout and Gabe turned in and Thomas took Cora to sit in the shaky plastic chairs out front. "You smoke?" He said offering her a cigarette.

"I do." She gratefully took the cigarette, butterflies exploding in her stomach as Thomas lit the end for her. "Thanks."

"Sure." He looked out over the line of trees and took a small leap. "So that shit with Chibs, it was like he knew you."

"You think?" Shifting her body, Cora smiled as she puffed of the cigarette. "Maybe he did?"

"Does he?"

"No."

"Guess you answered your own question."

"Can I ask you something?"

Thomas looked at her, unsure of what she could really have to ask, and nodded. "Shoot."

"Those mugshots, one was flipped upside down, what does that mean?"

Grimacing and buying time, Thomas chugged his beer and took a long drag of his cigarette. "It's when a guy patches out of the club."

"Why would he do that? You guys seem to be pretty damn cool." She joked with a flirty grin.

"I was a baby. He and my dad were like brothers, they grew up together, but whatever really happened, I don't know. He won't tell me."

"That's shitty. I fucking hate that. My dad keeps shit from me and it drives me insane."

"Right?" Thomas nodded enthusiastically . "I remember Ope, a little, but I know how huge he was to the club and my dad. My grandma pretty much raised him and his dad started the club with my grandad. My dad tells me I'll be Prez one day but how can when I don't know the big secrets?"

Cora saw an in, albeit dangerous, and she took it. "What if I could help you figure it out?"

"You don't know shit about my club."

"I know you're outlaw." Sneaking back into the room she came out again and handed Thomas a few pictures she'd stolen from her dad. "And I know those people."

"This is Ope and Mae." He looked up at Cora and, seeing the uncanny resemblance, his head cocked to the side. "Shit. You're a liar."

"No. I'm just looking for some truth. Please, I'm not trying to hurt you or your club. I just want to know what the fuck my parents are hiding."


	10. Chapter 10

Thomas wasn’t sure what to make of Cora. He questioned her flat tire from the moment he looked at it but she was sweet, that wasn’t a show he could see it through her exaggerated attitude, and now her bringing up Opie was both suspect and interesting.

“You know how dangerous it is laying this shit out for me?” He said without agreeing to help or not.

She nodded. “I know but we both want to know and I’m trying to trust you.”

“Even though your dad thought he couldn’t?”

“My dad doesn’t know you, Thomas. I just want to know what happened to him and my mom and Gabe’s parents.”

“Gabe?” He looked at the door to the room and shook his head. “They aren’t Alex and Ben?”

“Those are their middle names, the blond is Scout and the other is Gabe. We thought Scout was too obvious.”

“Who are Gabe’s parents?”

“Juan Carlos and Amelia Ortiz.”

“Fuck.” Thomas walked away, his head in his hands, already in too deep for this liking. “This is bad. I don’t want to get into the shit with Juice but I can help with your dad.”

“Juice?”

“It was his nickname, your dad was Opie and Gabe’s was Juice.”

“I’ve never heard those names before.”

“Not surprising.”

Feeling her chest tighten up Cora tossed her cigarette and sat down. “Please don’t kill me and don’t tell your dad. My parents don’t know I’m even out here.”

“Jesus. Yeah, let’s keep parents out of this, okay?”

That was fine with Cora. “I don’t want them coming out here.”

“Your dad can’t. They probably told him not to come back when he moved. I don’t know though, that kind of shit depends on why he patched out.”

Everything he was saying hit Cora harder and harder. Her suspicions were right but the depth and danger surrounding the truth was never more apparent than right then. She had no idea what shew as getting herself into and had she known before she may have been too scared to take the trip. She was in California now though and she wasn’t going back without the truth.

“Why won’t you talk about Juice?” She asked, focusing on steading her breathing.

“It’s nasty. There’s a lot of hate there and a lot of lies.”

“Gabe wants to know.” She said softly, feeling for her friend’s position. “He doesn’t have any memories of his dad, Thomas. I’m sorry we lied but don’t you see how this ripples and affects all of us?””

 

“If I start asking about this,” he stopped and looked at Cora still unsure if he could trust her. “Chibs, Chibs has to know. That’s why he freaked out when he saw you guys. You look like your mom,” he held up the photos again. “And Gabe looks like Juice. I’m an idiot for not putting it together. We can talk to Chibs."

\--

_It was just past one in the morning when Amelia and Juice stepped out of the weed shop after closing and doing an inventory. Two deputies skidded in front of the shop and stepped out of their car. “Put your hands up.”_

_“What?” Juice looked at them and shook his head at Amelia. “We didn’t do shit.”_

_“We got a call of suspicious activity.”_

_“We own the shop.” Amelia said staunchly already knowing this had to do with her previous conversation with Roosevelt._

_“Turn around and put your hands on the wall.”_

_She looked at Juice and he nodded doing as he was asked. Juice didn’t have any drugs on him but Amelia did. “Looks like we’re bringing you in, ma’am.” He officer said as he roughly slammed her against the wall and cuffed her._

_“Hey,” Juice threw a solid punch and made contact. “Don’t fucking hurt her.”_

_“You two just had a baby, didn’t you?” The officer asked, wiping a drop of blood from the corner of his mouth, as his partner slapped cuffs on Juice too. “Now you’ll have a nice overnighter together.”_

_On the way back to the station, Amelia looked at Juice lovingly but couldn’t hide her anger. “You’re an idiot. Now we’ll have to pay the nanny a shit ton extra for these hours.”_

_“It’s fine. I don’t want you in there alone. I don’t trust these new fuckers.”_

_“Okay.” She leaned her head on his shoulder until they were pulled roughly from the car and separated. Amelia was taken into an office on the second floor of the building; a level she didn’t even know existed._

_The door opened behind her and Lincoln Potter walked in. Amelia did a double take and cursed under her breath. “Uncle Linc.” She remembered hearing about him from Keith but the two had never met. “I guess it was you who sent the fucking flowers?”_

_“I did. Did you like them?”_

_“No. What do you want?”_

_“I’ll cut to the chase since you’re family and all.” He smirked. “I don’t give a shit about the club; I know they’re working with a cartel. I need proof, solid proof, and you’re going to give it to me.”_

_“I’m not giving you shit. That fucking shit Roosevelt said about my dad means nothing to any of them.”_

_“And what about Juan Carlos’ dad? Michael Cole, he had a deep tan didn’t he?” Linc handed Amelia the thin manila envelope with Juice’s father’s information. “You know what they’ll do to him, don’t you?”_

_“They wouldn’t.” She shook her head. “You don’t know anything about SAMCRO.”_

_“I know they'll kill him for the lie and if they know you knew, that's not a safe position to be in. Get me a sample of the next shipment or we’ll see who is right about the almighty club’s reaction.”_

_“Is this because of Keith?”_

 

_“No.” He stated calmly. “It’s because I abhor drugs and violence. I’m just trying to do what’s right.”_


	11. Chapter 11

"Let's go for a ride." Mae suggested.

"Shit, really?" 

"Yeah, they're gone and you haven't ridden in forever. I miss that, Ope." When she used that name he closed his eyes and nodded. 

"I miss it too. I love you and the kids but sometimes I miss that brotherhood."

Mae smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "I know you do but that's why we left, because it wasn't there."

"He woulda killed me." Opie said as he grabbed his keys for the storage unit. "He woulda did to me what he did to Juice. I miss something that never fucking existed."

_—_

_The plan had fallen apart. Opie didn't get his chance to tease and torture Stahl before he snapped her neck and let her town car roll off PCH and down into a deep, rocky ditch. He wanted to do so much more but with Hale's interference, he was left making it look like an accident. His only consolation was looking her in the eyes and telling her why and that Mae had been playing her for months._

_Mae glided outside, her feet squishing in the grass as she made her way over to Opie. "He's still sleeping. If he sleeps more than five hours, I'll freak out. I am so tired."_

_"Go to sleep, baby. If he gets up I'll feed him."_

_"You sure?"_

_"Yeah, I got him."_

_"Still thinking about all of it?"_

_"I'm just pissed. She's been dead for months and we were supposed to be out by now. We don't have as much saved as I wanted to and you said you're worried about Amelia. I feel like we're never going to get out and Jax is shady as fuck, Mae. I don't trust him. He's doing something."_

_"I'm more than worried about Amelia, Ope. She's being so, just like, weird. I can't describe it. We used to be so close and now, nothing. You should talk to Juice and see if he knows anything."_

_Domestics were not Opie's strong suit and he had enough going on without having to worry about their marriage but Mae was terrified, Opie could see it, and he cared for Amelia. "You don't think it's shit between them?"_

_"No." She said staunchly. "I know it's worse. It's club shit, I can see how she is around them when I go to TM. Maybe whatever Jax is currently planning has to do with Meels."_

_"Alright."_

_—_

_*A few weeks after her meeting with Lincoln Potter.*_

_"Amelia, what are you doing?" Juice drudged through the woods to find her with a brick of coke in her hand. She turned, her face blank and pale, and began to cry._

_"I'm sorry." She stuttered. "I had to, JC. I," she shut her mouth hearing another set of feet approaching._

_"Hey guys-" Miles stopped, his jaw open in shock, as he laid eyes on her. "Goddamn. No one thought it was you. HOW was it you?" He asked in disbelief._

_"You guys, you don't understand, I had to." Amelia's chin quivered. "It's okay. The club isn't going to get in trouble, I swear. I love SAMCRO, I wouldn't hurt you guys."_

_"Put it down." Miles said as he reached for his gun._

_Juice pulled in a flash and shook his head. "Don't aim at her."_

_"Oh." Miles nodded and pulled his gun but kept it down. "It's both of you."_

_As Juice tried to talk to Miles, his goal unclear even to him, Amelia took two shaky steps back. "Don't make me do this." Miles said his gun suddenly aimed at Amelia, she panicked and turned to run when the piercing sound of a gunshot planted her where she stood. Juice had pounced on Miles to keep him from hurting Amelia but Miles was able to get a shot off that tore through Juice's thigh._

_Not daring to turn Amelia heard the struggle and one more shot. "Baby?"_

_"It's okay, throw me the coke now." Juice said breathlessly as Happy and Chibs raced across the field toward the tree line._

_"Jesus Christ." Chibs bellowed as he saw Juice, shot in the leg and Amelia on the ground, by the tree she had buried the coke near, in tears. "What happened?"_

_She didn't speak, terrified and traumatized, but Juice began suddenly blathering a story that simply flowed from his lips with little prior thought. "It was Miles." He stuttered, watching as Chibs helped Amelia to her feet. "I came out here to find Meels and he had her against the tree, I didn't even see the coke till he fucking attacked me."_

_Listening to the story, Amelia swallowed and nodded slowly. She knew they were in trouble, her sinking heart told her as much. "I came out to pee," her voice was weak and distant. "I saw him pulling it from the weeds, he went nuts."_

_"Fucking Miles." Happy grumbled and shot the already dead man three more times in the chest._

_"You okay, love?" Chibs asked Amelia as he and Happy helped Juice to his feet._

_"Yeah," she locked eyes with Juice. "I'm okay."_

_—_

Thomas and Cora decided to go to Chibs' in the morning, he wondered if his mother could help but knowing how tense thing already were he wanted to leave that wound alone. Neither of them trusted the other completely but they had a few more beers and shared the glaring differences in their childhoods.

"My eighth birthday we went to this giant indoor waterpark, it was awesome until I found my parents making out in the car while they claimed they were getting the camera."

"I never had a birthday party." Thomas said wistfully. "Not a big one like that. My parents, they were at each other's throats for a while when I was a kid. The club packs on stress and shit, it's not really easy to be a good husband when you're running around doing, what we do."

"Is it dangerous?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah, it is."

Cora got quiet and turned away from him. Suddenly the years of fights and secrets made perfect sense to her. All they wanted was their family to be safe and their marriage to last. They didn't want to fall into that pit the club dug itself into constantly.

"Hmm," she stood and smiled sadly at Thomas. "I should really sleep."

"Alright." He helped her gather the empty bottles. "I actually had fun once we got past the lying."

"I'm sorry. It's got nothing to do with you, I just wanted to know."

Thomas nodded and, with a surprising burst of courage, kissed Cora. He knew he shouldn't have but he felt a draw, not unlike the one both sets of their parents felt, and he gave in quickly. "I'll call you in the morning."


	12. Chapter 12

Amelia didn't expect Mike to agree to a date so quickly and she regretted mentioning it to Opie. Sitting on the edge of her bed she stared at her wedding rings, both engagement and band, and felt a new kind of sorrow. For fifteen years, she kept the rings on, a proud sign of her marriage, but now it almost felt silly.   
"I'm sorry." Slipping the set off, Amelia placed it on the nightstand and picked up the phone as it rang for the third time. "Hello?" Silence, again, and she felt her blood boiling in her veins. "You know what asshole, stop fucking calling." Her voice cracked as she hollered and for the first time she heard a sound for the other end. "Someone is actually there?"  
"Sorry." The grumbled voice said. "Won't happen again."  
The line went dead and, in a fit of rage, Amelia hurled the phone across the room. "I hate this." She whispered, placing the rings back on her hand, but her right instead of her left, and tried to focus on her day.  
-  
"You WHAT?" Scout was fuming when he heard what Cora had done while he and Gabe were sleeping. "You're fucking stupid, Cor. I should call Mom and Dad right now and tell them everything."  
Before Scout could reach his phone, Cora snatched it up. "You wouldn't."  
"I would." He snapped back. "I only came out here so you wouldn't be alone. So, dad was some criminal? I don't care. He isn't now, he's a good Dad, Cora. We're lucky to still have him."  
The room fell awkwardly quiet as both Winston children looked at Gabe in the corner of the room. "I wanna go home." He said sadly.   
"Gabe," Cora's arms fell to her side. "I'm sorry."  
"I'm just wondering how much you didn't tell me."  
"Our dads were fucking criminals; mine was in jail for years. They were bad guys, Gabe."  
The boy's head fell. "I'm going home. I don't give a shit about him. At least your dad didn't wait to get out." There was hatred in Gabe's usually calm voice. He was bitter Opie was alive and his dad was dead, he was angry his father, seemingly, didn't care as much as Opie did.   
"Our dad was married before he met our mom." Scout said.   
"Yeah, I know, Kenny and Ellie are a big clue to that."  
"She's dead man," he took his phone from Cora. "They got divorced and she still got killed because of my dad."  
"Scout, shut up." Cora snapped but he didn't.   
"He waited way too long."  
"Yeah, well, she wasn't your mom. You still have both parents."  
"Look, Gabe, give me six hours and we'll all leave together." Cora was begging. She wouldn't let him leave alone but she was desperate to meet with Chibs.  
"Yeah, fine."  
\--  
"Hey brother." Tommy greeted Chibs as he usually did but his eyes moved around the clubhouse suspiciously. "Can I talk to you later?"  
"No." Chibs grumbled. "I'm not even done my coffee and you're coming in here with that look in your eye. I know that look, your old man has the same one and it is never good."  
"I know you know who she is."   
"Aye, I do and that is trouble you don't need to mix in with, boyo. She is dangerous. You don't want to open up those wounds."  
"I'm not even pressing into Juice." He admitted. "She wants to know what really happened to her dad, I want to know too. Jax thinks me and Abel can run this club without knowing the shit he's hiding? That'll be dangerous."  
"Where are they staying?" Chibs asked. Thomas knew he could trust him, he always could, and so far Chibs had kept Cora, Scout and Gabe a secret and that was huge.  
"Shitty motel out by the Morada border. I told her to go there, keep far away from here. I don't know how my Dad didn't recognize her if you did."  
Chibs nodded. "Aye, I think he may have or he's pushed Opie so far back he was just too blind to it. Tonight, later, bring her to my house."  
"What about the other two?"  
"You keep Juice's kid as far as possible, Thomas, I mean it."  
-  
Mae closed the door as she left Scout's room, an empty laundry basket in her hand, and made her way to Cora's mess. She sighed, looking around, and began to gather the clothing Cora had hung from the bedposts and door handles.   
"A brat and a slob; a perfect combination." Mae mumbled as she cleaned even though she knew she should make her daughter do it. Reaching under her bed she pulled out socks, an impressive amount of socks, and rolled her eyes. Before she left, Mae stopped as her eyes fell on the girl's desk. "I shouldn't do this." Mae whispered as she dropped the basket and sat in Cora's chair.   
Shifting some things around, hoping not to find anything or be labeled a snooper, Mae glanced casually but nothing caught her eye, at first. When Opie's, much younger, face came into view she stopped for a second and went into full panic mode. "Shit, Cora, you little brat." There were four photos, buried under schoolwork and magazines, that both made smile nostalgically and fear for her and Opie's secret.  
"Harry," Mae belted out. "Harry, you gotta see this."   
It felt like forever but he was there in a flash, equally unnerved by the photos despite the little smile on his lips. "You hardly aged, Maelynn."  
"You're sweet, but I didn't bring these in here."  
"Goddamn it. She's been snooping in my fucking garage."  
"I won't let anything happen to her, Ope, her and Scout, I'll do anything to keep them from ever going out there. You know her, being told the stories won't be enough."  
"I know." He dropped the photos on the desk again and placed his hand on Mae's shoulder.   
"She's so much like me when I was her age, right before I got into drugs. I don't think she'd use but just mixing in with the wrong people, clean or not, is dangerous. I can't see her follow in my footsteps. Gangs, bikers; it's not for her. She's much more sensitive than I am, that's why she puts on that attitude, why she tries to be so tough. I barely made it out alive."  
"That is not going to happen to Cora. You hear me, Mae? We'll whip her into shape and put an end to it."  
"Are you worried about Scout?"   
Ope smiled and shook his head. "No. He's like me, loyal to his old man. He'll do what Kenny did and they'll run that fucking shop when I'm done."  
"Why are the girls always the issue?" She asked, putting the photos in his pocket.   
"You would know better than I would." Leading her out of the room, he wrapped her up in his arms once they hit the hall. "We'll figure it out, babe, I promise."


	13. Chapter 13

The day was dragging for both Thomas and Cora. She sulked, alone, while Gabe and Scout headed a few blocks down to a small park with a basketball court. Scout sneaked into the rec center, snagged a ball, for him and Gabe to use.

"Is it racist if I make a joke about how good you are?" Scout asked as Gabe made another free throw shot. "I mean cause you are, you're like, really good."

Gabe chuckled but didn't answer, he passed the ball to Scout. "You think we'll get away with this?"

"Hell no." Scout's shoulders fell as the basketball bounced off the backboard and whizzed by his head. "I'm much better at baseball."

"Remember when your dad tried to coach our T-ball team?"

The memory of Opie loosing his cool in the middle of the field on another drunk parent made Scout burst out laughing. "Key word is tried. I think my mom put him up to that shit."

Not twenty feet away, on a splintered bench, sat a hooded stranger chain smoking. His head was down, elbows on his knees as he periodically looked up at the boys from behind his sunglasses. They didn't notice at first, laughing and joking as they played a game so leisurely that neither was really actually keeping score.

"Shit," Gabe hissed. "Shut up, it's my mom."

The stranger watched, struggling to listen, but the prolonged stares drew both of the boys' attention. Gabe spoke briefly to his mother as he and Scout slowly backed away the mysterious man.

Flicking his cigarette away, the man got to his feet and rushed off in the opposite direction, jumping on his bike and fleeing before they got a good look.

\--

"Brother," Jax jogged to catch up with Chibs. "You deal with those kids?"

Chibs wasn't expecting that question. "Aye. Little shites looking for some inside view of the club."

"They from around here?"

"I don't know."

Nodding, Jax walked to Chibs to his bike. "They looked familiar, that girl with Thomas too."

"They all look alike," Chibs joked. "It's nothing."

Jax grinned as Thomas pulled up. "Alright, VP. As long as we have shit on lock."

"Aye. It's all handled."

\--

"Mom, I'm sorry." Cora was floundering during the unexpected call from Mae. "I know. I forgot to tell you we're staying an extra night. Didn't Ellie call?"

Mae rattled on and on with Opie grumbling in the background but nothing much came of it. "So help me, Cora, if you're not home tomorrow night I'll drag you from that campground myself. Your dad will be the least of your worries."

"Okay. Okay." Anything to shut her up. Ellie was pissed about the lie but she'd never go to her dad and rat herself out either. "Tomorrow night, Mom. I swear."

She was already anxious about meeting with Chibs and Thomas but the phone call surely pushed Cora over the edge. Her hands were sweaty as she attempted to apply her makeup and the brushes slipped and slid in her fingers until she gave up.

"Where were you?" She swung open the bathroom to see a sweaty Scout and Gabe hurry into the room. "Mom called, throwing a fucking fit and shit."

"My mom called too." Gabe spoke with a heavily annoyed tone. "Said she heard we were staying an extra night. Thanks for telling me, Cora."

Her body slumped down and she nodded. "I'm sorry. Thomas wasn't able to see me until later than we originally planned."

"It's fine." Gabe was distant, detached from the whole situation as his confusion, anger and sorrow surged within him. "Be careful. Some fucking freak was watching us at the park."

"Ew, like a fucking molester?"

Scout shook his head. "We're too old for molester bait. It felt less creepy and more dangerous. I think it has to do with these fucking bikers."

"It's all fine, Thomas said we're good."

"You really trust him?" Scout asked in disbelief. Cora was usually suspicious of everyone, even after building relationships and getting to know them, but she was giving in too quickly with this stranger.

"I do. The rest of them, no way, they look scary as shit, but he's not like them."

\--

"I'm meeting with Thomas and Cora tonight. Fucking little shite, I'm just going to scare her off. We need her gone."

"I'm going."

"Juicy," Chibs paced the apartment listening to his brother's rambling. "That is a fucking shite idea."

"Did you see him?" A frantic Juice asked while tossing clothes in a duffle bag.

"Aye. He's a handsome boy."

"He's my boy."

"You don't know what you're going start heading out there." Chibs sighed wishing he could feel his friend's pain and understand. "It's been fifteen years. They all think you're dead."

"I am dead, Chibs. The lies, the shit I had to do for Jax to clear the slate, I don't know who I am anymore. I just want to be a good person." Turning away as his voice broke Juice fluctuated from intense rage to sorrow at blinding speeds. "I need Amelia for that, to be that person. I need to see her, I need to know my son." Juice's voice rose in anger as he spoke. "He has his fucking kids, towing the family fucking line, seeing them every goddamn day while I stalk fucking Facebook just to get a glimpse of my son. I missed his whole life. You know that pain, brother."

Having Kerrianne and Fiona ripped away was crushing, it was something Chibs never fully recovered from, but at least they knew he loved them. They could have some contact, the truth was out, the Ortiz family didn't have that. "Then what? You patch out and live that fucking apple pie life? Brother, you need to let this go. It's going to destroy their lives."

"I already did that when I lied to them." Juice fought. "When I agreed to do this bullshit I destroyed her, you saw her that day, she was broken. I should have left. I should have admitted everything and left with them."

"He would have killed you all. If you go now, what are you going to tell Jax?"

"That if he comes near me or my family, I'll do what I should have done back then."

"Just wait." Chibs said calmly. "You need to be sure nothing happens to Gabe while he's here. Jax saw him, if you leave he might put it together. That is a dangerous position for your son to be in."

Juice broke down, the years of secrets and depression coupled with the dirty jobs and kills he had to do for Jax ate away at him. Out of all of that though, nothing was worse than seeing Gabriel, being a total stranger to him and knowing he was just a ghost to the two people he loved the most.

"Everyday I wish that goddamn branch didn't snap."

Chibs slapped him hard across the back of the head before pulling Juice in for a hug. "This needs to be smart, Juicy. Just wait."


	14. Chapter 14

"You're not scared?" Thomas asked, his eyebrows raised high into his hairline, as he pulled up to take Cora to Chibs'.

Knowing she should have been scared, of the bike, of Thomas, and of going to this man's home without a way out, didn't force any hesitation as she swung her leg over and hopped on. "Apparently it's in my blood, of course I'm not scared."

"Oh, okay, that sounds like a challenge." Revving the engine, Thomas elicited a squeal of delight from Cora, and spun out onto the street.

It was incredible. She'd never felt that type rush or the same kind invigoration in her short life. Cora held tight to Thomas, her cheek against his back as they whipped further into the center of Charming. For someone so coddled it was a freeing moment that Cora would never forget, one she'd craved her entire life. She had no idea how much she was like her parents in that moment.

"This is insane." She shouted over the engine as they idled at a red light.

Peering over his shoulder, a sly grin on his face, Thomas shook his head. "You have no idea, darlin'."

The way Cora grasped onto him made Tommy smile, genuinely, and to prolong the moment he took a few wrong turns passing by the clubhouse before ending up at Chibs'.

"Just," Thomas chewed his bottom lip for a moment. "Don't say a lot, let me talk to him and we can go from there okay?"

"I can handle myself." Her defensive attitude came raring back as they took the few steps toward the front door. "I'm here for myself, my family, don't treat me like a child, Thomas.

Grinning, not surprised but impressed by her assertiveness, Thomas nodded and shrugged. "I can't make you shut up."

"No shit."

Before he could, Cora knocked on the door with force. "He's old," she explained as Thomas eyed her with an amused sort to twinkle in his eye. "I don't know how good his hearing is."

"It's fine." Chibs muttered, swinging open the door with a hard scowl that even took Thomas by surprise. "Get in here."

"Brother, I really appreciate this." Thomas said, hoping to start the conversation off on the right foot but Chibs was furious not only with them but Juice as well.

"Sit," he instructed rudely. "You two are digging into shit you have no idea about."

He had started his forceful rant before they were even seated and despite Thomas' watchful and warning eye, Cora went right back at him. "I have some idea and I want to know. I know my dad left because it wasn't safe, it was bad enough that we skipped out and they lied to me my whole life. It was bad enough that Gabe, he's like my little brother, that his dad died. You said you'd help us."

"Is she serious?" Chibs looked at Thomas and, other than his index finger pointing at Cora, completely ignored her.

Thomas knew he shouldn't laugh but he couldn't keep from cracking the smallest of smiles. "Yeah, she is."

"Aye, she's got a bug up her ass like her father."

Looking away, Thomas chuckled at her, despite her attitude only making the situation ore difficult. "Please tell me." Now pleading, her voice softer, Cora tried a different approach. "I want to know what they gave up, I want to know what my dad did for me and my brothers and sister. If it's some epic story, I want in on it. It's my past, at least a little bit, so please."

"The balance here, is strained, and your fucking poking around with those boys is going to cause harm to you three, to me, and your parents."

"Did they like, rat or something?"

"You just don't listen to you?"

"Talk to my dad, he hates it too."

"Aye, I know your old man. I know exactly how he feels about you, then and now."

Cora eyed him, unsure of what his tone meant, and crossed her arms over her chest. "What's that mean?"

"It means your father turned his back on a lifetime, his father's legacy, for you shites and your mother."

Chibs would have done the same thing had he been in Opie's shoes. The lies and the danger Jax had shoveled on all of them landed heavier on Opie than anyone else. Had the issues been more club related and much less personal, Chibs would have had to do something but he couldn't, it was the friendship that deteriorated and in turn, Opie's trust in the club. That though, was discounting what had happened to Juice, Chibs still had trouble with that.

"Brother," Thomas stood now, taken aback by Chibs' attitude, and put a stop to the verbal harassment. "Tell us what happened. What the hell is your problem? You said you'd talk to us, talk to me about this shit, if you're just gonna talk to her like she's some piece of shit, we'll leave and I'll go see my mom, or _someone_ else."

Cora gazed up at Thomas, impressed and touched, and admitted only to herself that she didn't want to have to miss him when she left.

"I'm trying to watch both of your asses while _someone_ else watches those boys."

"Someone is spying on my brothers?" She snapped, on her feet beside Thomas.

"To make sure Jax doesn't go sniffing around." Chibs admitted sadly. "You three have to leave."

"We're going to as soon as you tell me." She said quickly. "My folks would kill me before ever letting me out here."

"As they should." Taking the dusty end table as a suitable chair, Chibs leaned on his elbows, and looked between both Thomas and Cora. "Your dads were inseparable but when Jax," he pointed to Thomas, "Took the gavel, Ope wasn't thrilled with the way he ran the club. He didn't trust the calls Jax made and Opie knew your mom wanted you out, as did yours." Chibs eyed Thomas for a moment. "Most of the women do, they love their men but once the little brats pop out, the game is over."

"So what happened?"

Even after all the years that had floated by, Chibs didn't know the truth about who had killed Clay or the underhanded dealings that got Jax his President flash. "Your grandfather was killed, Jax lied to your dad about who did it and it grew from there. I don't know it all; it was between the two of them. After your brother was born, we had a few more jobs Ope wanted to, complete," Chibs grinned at the memory of a dead Stahl, "Then he patched out. It takes a certain amount of trust to do this, it wasn't there for Opie, not after everything that went down. He's fine with the club, he blacked out his ink and all that shite, but I know Jax and I know he's still pissed."

Jax was pissed for many reasons, one of which was Opie's staunch support of Juice, and Opie got out for more than the Piney lie but for the brutal, supposed, murder of Juice. For Jax, losing his best friend meant keeping the gavel and when Opie took Mae, his kids, Amelia and Gabe out of Charming Jax knew, although it stung and he mourned that loss, it was what had to happen.

Cora was mesmerized by the story, even lacking so many details, and listened closely. "My dad won't talk about any of it, my mom either, they have some serious hate for this place and you guys."

"Not me," Chibs said sadly. "He came to me, before he left, I love your dad. The hate, that's only reserved for a few people."

"Who?" Thomas asked reminding them both of his presence.

Giving Thomas a look, one that read like annoyance and disbelief, Chibs leveled with him. "Your dad, your grandma, Clay."

"Grandma?" Thomas asked, shocked Gemma would be involved at all. 

"Tommy, that's another secret you need to hear, but not with her. It's family shite, MC shite. The shite what went down, it was too much for him, Opie is a-"

"He's sensitive." Cora said. "I miss my dad." She said, her eyes burning with tears, a new love and appreciation filling her. "I need to go home."

"You don't tell your father we spoke." Chibs growled, suddenly threatening again.

"I won't." She checked her phone as Thomas and Chibs hugged. "Shit."

"What?" Thomas looked concerned, a look Chibs knew was trouble, and sat beside her again.

"Gabe. He wants to know about his dad."

"He's dead." Chibs said coldly. Thomas' eyes narrowing as Chibs so blatantly lied. "We were on a job and he got shot, that's it."

"Chibs," Thomas shook his head.

"Boyo," the tone was dark and even scary. "The last thing any of those people need is to relive that. Amelia, she was crushed."

"She's still crushed." Cora said. "She's great and I love her, but you can see it in her eyes, she fucking sad."

Chibs could have slapped her for bringing it up; he could also imagine Juice's reaction as he listened in his earpiece while staking out the motel parking lot. "You tell Gabriel his father was my best friend and I loved him like my own blood, that's all he needs to know of the man. Dredging up the past will only hurt Meels and that boy, I promise you."

It was only said for Juice, to remind him that as much as his family was hurting, going to them would destroy their worlds almost entirely.

"Come on, Cora, I'll take you back." Thomas offered her his hand, which she took, and walked her toward the door. "Thanks brother, this conversation stays here, I swear."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flashback Chapter...

"It's not the Reaper." Opie said sadly as he and Chibs stood in the dark at Piney's grave. "It's some of the people wearing it."  
"Brother, I'm having a hard time helping you if you don't tell me this shite. What's going on?"  
Loyal, Chibs was so loyal to the patch and to Jax, Opie feared if he opened up the words would find themselves in Jax's ear by morning. "I came to you because I don't have anyone else."  
"Ope, unless you made a deal, you gave some other crew information or this hurts SAMCRO, I got no problem keeping your secrets."  
"Lobos didn't kill my old man, Clay did." Reading Chibs' reaction carefully in moonlight Opie felt confident enough to continue. "Jax kept that shit from me, even after Clay was dead, he lied right to my goddamn face. I can't look him in the eyes anymore; I don't trust a goddamn word he says."   
It wasn't shocking to hear Clay had been the one to kill Piney but Chibs never knew it. "How do you know?"  
"Can't say. I don't have proof, brother but I just know." That line protected Tig and Opie and was hardly a lie. Opie had no proof but Tig's comment, that Clay had been the one. "I know he's lied to me, holding shit back to keep me here, keep me as his VP. Everything since that fucking arrest at the motel, the cartel and that dealer, it's all been lies."  
"What do you feel you have to do about it?"   
"I need you to back me when I patch out. I have to get my family out of here. You saw how he was with Mae, hostile and threatening, after that Stahl shit. I won't risk her or my kids for him, not again."  
"Aye," Chibs said solemnly.   
"It's not right now. I gotta get shit straight but he suspects I'm questioning him and I don't think he'll let me leave."  
"You're costly, you know too much and you're too close. He'll take it personal. I'll help you, if you promise me this is nothing worse."   
"It's personal, brother." Opie said, knowing he was in as much trouble as Jax if the truth ever came out. "The MC is safe."  
Giving Opie a solid but sentimental hug, rather than rough and fleeting, Chibs promised to protect Opie while he planned his way out of Charming.  
—  
"Amelia."   
Juice limped into the kitchen to find his wife sitting silently, her eyes glazed over as she stared at the stove, with Gabriel sleeping soundly in his room and the sounds of his rhythmic breathing coming from the monitor. The two hadn't spoken in days. Not even a word passed between since he caught her with the stolen brick and killed Miles. He tried, multiple times, but Amelia was simply not there mentally. It was so bad that she hardly spoke to Gabe. Just because she was shutting down, unwilling or unable to talk, didn't mean he didn't need to or simply want to. All of the negative thoughts and feelings he had toward himself and her over Miles were boiling over and Juice couldn't help but lash out.  
"Amelia!" He shouted, slamming his fist on the table, startling her back into reality. "Talk. To. Me."  
"I'm sorry." She said, the words were hurried and meaningless, and sniffled as she finally looked at him.   
"What did you do?" Desperate and aching, Juice grabbed her face and forced her to make prolonged eye contact with him. "I killed Miles for you, so he wouldn't hurt you. I killed an innocent brother, Meels. You owe me a goddamn explanation."  
"I made a deal," she stuttered, "He's an ADA and he's also Keith's uncle."  
"What?" Shaking his head, Juice let her go and stepped away. "Why? Why would rat on me, on the club? Jesus Christ, what did you do, Meels, what did you give him?"  
"Nothing, I didn't give him anything on you or the club. He needed a link to the cartel; he promised that if I cooperated, he wouldn't touch the Sons."  
"Fucking liar." Juice snapped and Amelia broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.   
"I was trying to protect you!" She screamed her breathing labored and shallow. "He knows about your dad, he threatened to out you to the club."  
"Baby," Juice pulled a chair closer to her. "You're not the liar, he is. You know he would have come after us next. I gotta clean this up, I gotta go to Jax."  
"No." Amelia jumped up and grabbed his forearm. "Please, don't. Please. They'll kill us, JC, you know they will!"  
His face fell completely as she said it, his cheeks puffing as his eyes filled with tears. "No one is going to hurt you."  
"I should go." She said quickly, pulling herself away from him, and moved toward the steps. "This is on me, I'll go and you tell them what happened."  
"They'll find you." He said trying to hurry after her. "Remember, years ago, when we said we were our own little club and the truth about our dads came out? I told you then, you don't take a backseat to the club, and I fucking meant it. You stay. We'll figure this out."  
"How? I still have to meet with Potter again; I'm supposed to have that fucking coke."  
"I don't know. Maybe I should go to Jax, tell him about my dad and kill that leverage."  
Amelia shook her head, her chest closing up feeling so trapped and hopeless. "Jax won't be okay with that, JC. Let me talk to my dad, feel everything out, please?"  
"You've done enough, Meels."  
"I'm sorry. I'm trying to fix this."  
"Yeah, I know."  
"I'm sorry I lied to you."  
Juice rolled his jaw, furious with her for the first time since the day they met, and nodded quietly. He didn't know what to say to her or even do with her. As angry as he was, as much as betraying the club hurt him, Juice couldn't come out with the truth. He had to cover her, himself too, but he would always cover for her.  
"Amelia, never again."


	16. Chapter 16

"I really don't want to go." Cora said with a frown as she passed Thomas the joint they'd been sharing. He borrowed Abel's truck and they sat in the motel parking lot, radio playing low, hotboxing before she had to leave. "Is that weird? There's so much out here, it's not right that I have to go home. Boring. Old. Home."

"Can't be that bad." From the way she described it, it did sound that bad and much worse, but Thomas was hoping to make her smile. "And if it is, well, it won't last forever."

"Thank you for helping me. You didn't have to."

He did though, if only because of his own insistence. "Guess I'm a sucker for a pretty face." Jax always used the line as a joke but for Thomas it was true. He knew he shouldn't have trusted her but he did and, luckily, it ended up not causing a bloody war.

"We'd be pretty good friends if our dads didn't hate each other, huh?" She couldn't imagine the ways her life would be different but she knew it would. "We woulda grown up together and shit, sucks we didn't get to. I'm stuck with Scout and Gabe now."

Thomas grinned and, leaning his elbow on the center console, craned his neck to kiss her. Cora smiled to herself as his hand moved down her arm to rest on her waist. "We can keep in touch." He muttered as he inched his hand up her shirt.

"Truck is pretty cramped, don't you think?"

Pleased by her comment Thomas agreed, grinning and sucking in his bottom lip just like his father, and jumped out of the truck. "I'll get us a room, wait here."

-

"Juice I need you with me." Jax said with a smirk as he and the others stepped out of chapel. "I got some work for you."

"Nah man, I can't tonight."

With a challenging stance and smug grin, Jax crossed his arms over his chest. "You can't? What do you have to do? You don't have friends, besides us, and you got no family."

"I have a family."

"Is that what this is about?" Roughly shoving Juice back into the room Jax slammed the doors behind them. "Your fucking kid shows up with those other two and you lose your shit? You're dead remember, you dig that shit up, and they're the dead ones."

Lost and further from sane than he'd ever been, Juice went back and Jax and landed a solid blow to his chin. "You're not going to fucking touch my family."

"Oh alright," Jax was bouncing on his toes, ready for a fight. "Maybe we can finally settle this shit, huh?"

"Settle? This can't be fucking settled. You threatened to murder my wife and baby if I didn't go along with this shit. You knew we'd out you!" Juice screamed.

Jax, taken aback by Juice's strength and perceived disobedience, snarled as he charged. "You don't know shit." Gripping the back of Juice's neck as they grappled, Jax slammed his face into the table. "Fuck you, asshole."

Juice wobbled as he stood up, blood pouring from his nose. "You've been doing that for years." With a cold, hard stare Juice wiped his face with his shirt and moved toward the door. "I'm not doing this shit for you."

"Oh, I know, you're doing it for the rat and your fucking kid."

"She ain't a rat, she was trying to protect the club, you're just pissed she found out about you."

Jax stepped toward him again, threateningly, but Juice threw his hands up. He couldn't push it, it only put Amelia and Gabe in danger. "You got what you want. I'm your fucking errand boy."

"Go home, clean up, get your fucking head right."

"Yeah, Prez, I'm going home." He tapped his temple somberly. "I just gotta work some shit out."

-

"For the longest time I thought you were married." Mike said somberly as he and Amelia chatted over drinks. It wasn't unusual that Opie and Mae were late but it was annoying.

"Yeah, I never had the heart to take the rings off. Apparently I have a bad track record with husbands."

Mike blinked a few times and took an awkwardly long sip. "I didn't know that."

Saving her from making a comment about how both, Keith and Juice, ended up with bullet wounds, Opie joined them at the table. "Sorry." He jammed his thumb behind them, blaming Mae for their tardiness, as she hurried to take a seat.

"My fault." Mae waved her hand at them. "I am so sorry."

They ate, conversation flowed but only because of Mae filling the awkward silences as best she could. Amelia lost what little enthusiasm she had for the date the moment it was actually set. Even if she was ready, which she wasn't, Mike was not the man to move on with.

After dessert and coffee Amelia left Mike with a hug and headed home. She moved from the driveway to the backyard and sat herself in the wicker patio furniture Gabe had stained as soon as the weather broke.

"Come on, asshole," she mumbled as she dug for a joint in her purse. "I know I brought you just in case."

She smiled, pulling it from her change purse and happily lit the end. She didn't feel Juice's eyes on her as he dialed Chibs, she was enjoying the high and trying to get right before Gabe came home the next evening.

"I need you to do me a favor." Juice mumbled quietly despite knowing Amelia would never hear him.

"Shite, I heard about you and Jax, Juicy, what happened?"

"I'm in Kansas, Chibs, I flew out as soon as I left the clubhouse."

Covering his face, Chibs groaned and shook his head. "That was a fucking stupid thing to do."

"I can see her, she's fucking beautiful, brother. "

"Aye, what are you ghosting around the house? Stalking her?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do. She's gonna hate me."

"Aye, she will."

"Just keep an eye on Jax, he doesn't know I'm here, and the kids until they leave to go home. I need you to have my back."

Chibs hated Juice for going but he understood knowing it was the only thing to ease his aching soul. "Always brother, I'm always watching your fucking back."


	17. Chapter 17

When Cora and Thomas left the hotel room the next morning, fingers interlaced, Scout and Gabe glared at her. "We have to go." Scout barked.

"I know. Go wait by the car."

They did, both fuming for their own reasons, and loaded up the trunk.

"You make sure your dad doesn't find out." Thomas chastised. "Last thing any of us need us Ope coming out here."

Cora gazed at Thomas, infatuated, and nodded. "Yeah, but if he finds out I'll let you know."

"You're trouble." He said kissing her deeply. "Bad for business."

"I'll take it as a compliment. Thanks for everything, maybe I'll come out again for more digging."

"No digging," he said with the patented Teller smirk. "But you should come out. Hit me up when you're home, darlin'."

Watching as he strutted back to Abel's truck Cora was heartbroken. She knew she'd hear it all from Gabe, the smitten one and Scout, the protective bother, but it was worth it. Thomas Teller was something else entirely.

\--

Hours later Amelia made her way into the house and crashed out on the couch. Juice remained, with his eyes locked on the house, until he saw her open the kitchen window as she moved about the room before the sun even rose. She was still in her dress from dinner, cleaning to get her head straight before Gabe came home that evening. It was what she always did, obsessively scrubbing and disinfecting, when her mind was in such a disruptive state.

Hours later, Amelia finally washed the corrosive cleaners from her hands and, brewing a pot of coffee, leaned on the edge of the stove, frazzled and exhausted, attempting to relax. The gentle knock on the kitchen door startled her but being in such a small neighborhood it wasn't too unusual. She opened the door with a saccharine, painfully fake smile for her early visitor.

"Hey baby." Juice whispered, a toothy yet somber smile on his pained face.

"Fuck." Amelia hissed, dropping her mug and turning her back on him. Her shoulders trembled as she tried to control her breathing. It was a dream she'd had for years, less and less frequently though, but this didn't feel like a dream.

"Amelia." He stepped into the kitchen following after her as she slowly walked to the fridge. "It's me."

"No. You're dead. Wake up, wake up, wake up."

"You are awake. I'm here, baby."

"You're not real." She began to cry hesitantly turning to look him in the face. "Oh god, JC." Throwing herself at him Amelia broke out into hysterics.

"I'm real, Meels. I'm here." They clutched onto each other with all their strength. Amelia sobbed as he held her and Juice obsessively pet her hair while whispering softly to her. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Amelia."

"How?" Forcing herself to look at him, Amelia held his face firmly between her palms. "How are you here?"

"We lied." He admittedly shamefully. "Chibs and Jax, they put it together. It was all a lie."

Horrified, Amelia stepped away from him and whacked him, with all her strength, right across the face. "You lied?"

"I had to." He said pressing his palm to his cheek. "Jax was going to kill you and Gabe, I had no choice baby."

"You always have a choice." Again, she lunged, first slapping at his chest wildly before breaking down and throwing her arms around him. "I hate you," she cried. "How could you do this to us?"

Juice knew this was how it would go. He told himself she'd be happy to see him, they'd pick up right where they left off, but he knew deep down she'd be furious.

"I didn't know what else to do." He said as he held her. "Jax found out we knew, he found out it was you who stole the coke, not Miles or me like he thought. I had to keep you safe." It was all a whisper between them as she cried and silent tears streamed down his face and into her hair. "I love you, I hated myself but I love you so much that I had to protect you. All these years sweetheart, I've loved you everyday."

Looking up at him, pitiful and broken, Amelia closed her eyes as he kissed her. It was as if nothing had changed when their lips connected, it felt just as it did when they were young. They were together again, if only for that second, and they were right where they wanted to be for the last fifteen years. They ended the kiss, although their lips still touched, and Amelia whispered quietly. "I love you, I never stopped JC. It's always been you. I need you." She buried her face in his chest and breathed him in. "Please don't leave me again."


	18. Chapter 18

Amelia sat at the kitchen table staring over a fresh cup of coffee at Juice. They stood in the kitchen, in awe, holding each other until finally Amelia trusted herself enough to know when she let go, he wouldn't disappear.

"I cannot believe I'm looking at you right now." With a clink, she set her mug down, the generous shot of vodka she'd poured helped calm her nerves, and smiled at him. "Jesus Christ you're alive." He smelled the same, tasted the same and aside from tiny wrinkles in the corner of his eyes, he looked exactly the same as the say she last saw him.

"Barely," he whispered in a raspy voice. "I felt like a damn ghost, Meels."

"What happened to your face?" Her manicured fingers, still wearing her rings but on her right hand, hovered over his broken nose with a tenderness Juice forgot existed. He was too used to the savage way they lived in Charming and without her constant presence those things; tenderness, love, and the like, seemed like fairy tales.

"I got in a fight but I'm fine." He caught her hand, her skin smelled of cleaner, and kissed her knuckles softly. "I don't know what to say to you, I've wanted to talk to you for fifteen years but now I got nothing."

"Trust me, I know." She laughed sadly. "Juice, this is insane. I mean, what happens now? Where do we go from here?" She asked, desperate for some answers she knew were far too hard to come by. "What about Gabriel, how do we explain this? Do we even explain it? What are you doing next? Are you...staying?"

Juice hung his head, unsure he even knew, and shrugged at her string of questions. "I don't know. No one knows I'm here, Chibs does, but that's it. Jax will come after me; he'll kill us, _all_ of us."

That was enough of an answer for Amelia. As angry as it made her, she understood in a practical way but her heart began breaking again immediately. "So you're leaving? You came here, ravaged my life, for what? Just to crush me again and leave?"

"I don't know." He admitted. "I want to stay but it's not easy. I need to get my head right and we need to talk this shit out. Just give it a little time, a day maybe?"

"Gabriel is camping with Har," she stopped and rolled her eyes, "Ope's kids. He'll be back in a few hours. If you're leaving, you should do it before he comes home. Seeing you would hurt him, confuse him, he's too sensitive to deal with something like this if you're just leaving us here."

Knowing the truth of their son's whereabouts would derail the conversation and trusting that Gabe was safe, Juice didn't tell her. "He's a smart kid, Meels." Juice grinned proudly. "I check up on him through the school's system, his Facebook too. You did a great job," his voice cracked. "What's he like?"

"Smart," she smiled, "You saw that, he's sweet, like you, and funny, kind of weird in the best way." Her blue eyes, somewhat faded in color over the years, rolled around as she thought of how to describe their son. It almost seemed impossible. "He's into music; he writes lyrics and plays the piano and he can dance, unlike me."

Juice listened carefully, his smile growing wider as his eyes filled with tears. "What was his first word?"

Amelia sputtered out a sob. "Juice, actually. He was late with talking, my fault though. After you _died_ ," she pulled a face. "I kind of did the bare minimum with him. He was sick, ear infection and a fever, he wouldn't drink or eat so I broke down and gave him some organic white grape juice cut with water and he was hooked. I thought it was some kind of cruel joke, he'd scream juice constantly."

Laughing through the tears Juice listened to the various stories Amelia told in vivid detail. "I missed everything, his whole life."

"I never thought that. I always thought you were somewhere," her eyes glanced upward, "Watching over us." She laughed and covered her face. "I'm such a fool."

"I'm sorry." He pleaded with her.

"I know you are. I can't help but think of all this lost time, fifteen years JC, all that time we could have been together or at least, I don't know, writing secret letters. Maybe I knew," she mused. "I never dated, haven't _beenwith_ anyone, maybe I knew deep down you were still around."

"We couldn't have done that," he said sadly. Her loneliness and the obvious way she'd shut herself away piled the guilt higher on his shoulders. "I knew there was no way to get you gone, to appease Jax and keep you far away, if you knew I was alive. It wasn't my idea or my plan, I just figured Jax would kill me but this was worse. Shit, Amelia, I wanted to die every day. The shit I had to do for Jax," he looked away, "The people I had to kill, people who didn't deserve it, I don't even know how much of me is left."

She shook her head, her lips pursed as anger bubbled in her chest. "You're you. I can see you in there. Darker, yeah, but you're still my Juicy."

He smiled for a second, comforted by her words, but shook his head. "I'll kill myself if I have to go back." Finally, he admitted it in a hushed whisper. "I tried but the fucking branch snapped. I didn't try again because I was set on finding you but if I have to go back," he stopped speaking as he broke down. His face was puffy, cheeks soaked with tears, as he gazed at her longingly. "I can't go back there."

-

"What did they want?" Jax grilled Chibs as they sat alone at the picnic table. "I'm not a fucking idiot, I know who they were."

Chibs was more surprised that Jax had kept his knowledge a secret, if he hadn't the consequences would have been much worse. "The girl, she wanted to know about Ope. Nosy little thing, like her mother, but she sure as shite didn't want him knowing she was out here. There's no way they'd send their kids and to what end?"

"I don't know." Jax turned away, his jaw clenched tight, as he rolled the thoughts around in his brain.

"Brother, they're gone."

"And Thomas, what happened with him and Cora?"

Chibs shook his head; he had an idea but no proof. "I don't know. They talked, spent the weekend together but you'll have to ask him for details."

"I don't think I want to. I'm going to partner him up with Abel, keep his head out of the fucking clouds. He's trouble; I can see he's more like Tara. It's dangerous."

"I thought they were set to take over for us in a few years, I'm no fucking kid, Jackie."

"It's fine. We'll get his head right. Abel can take VP, I'll get Thomas taken care of. I need you to find a way to let him know those fucking kids were out here, that'll keep em' away."

Nodding, but not intending to provide Jax with his security in that way, Chibs knocked his rings on the table. "Aye, I got it."

"Where's Juice with this?" His tone changed somewhat. Jax knew Chibs had a soft spot for Juice but he had no idea the depth of their relationship, especially after Juice being accused of ratting. Jax had hoped that would sour them but it didn't because Juice was able to provide Chibs with more truth than Jax was willing.

"He's working through it. Seeing that boy screwed him up."

"No shit. Keep an eye on him, brother."

"Aye, always."

Chibs excused himself and Jax watched as he jumped on his bike. There was much more digging to be done and he knew one person who could possibly help if only she'd agree to. With his tail between his legs slinking into chapel, Jax called Tara, apologetic as always, and started on his plan.

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

For as much as they talked, no real plans had been laid. It was impossible really, when Jax's reactions were always so blown up and exaggerated. It was decided they'd make the move and from there, roll with whatever punches Jax threw no matter how many or how strong they were.

"Chibs will totally help." Juice spoke confidently seeing how terrified Amelia was. "What about Ope?"

She nodded sadly. "He hates himself for what happened to you. He swore if he'd done more and moved quicker it would never have gone down that way...well the way we thought it did."

"I never thought about that." All he'd obsessed over was Amelia and Gabriel. It never once occurred to him that Opie would mourn the death as well. "Shit. Fucking Ope, I didn't realize."

"It doesn't matter now." Albeit overjoyed Amelia was still furious and profoundly scarred by her husband's actions. "What about my dad?"

"Tig would help. I know he would. He misses you so much."

"I miss him too."

Seeing Juice again, the longing and the pain now less intense and consuming, allowed her to focus on the other losses she'd suffered. Amelia missed Tig every day.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Juice asked as he got to his knees in front of her like he always had before. "It's not going to be fun, it's going to get nasty."

"And what's my other option? Saying goodbye to you again?"

He nodded, his cheeks puffy again, and looked up at her truly unsure of what she'd say.

"I'm not losing you again. I won't do it. I can't. I've been nothing for fifteen years, I've," she stopped suddenly. "I need you here. I want you here. You're home and you're not leaving."

Juice didn't smile or laugh he was far too emotionally raw and deeply touched to feel any happiness despite Amelia's words. "I'll take a while. I'm fucked up, Meels."

"You're my Juice. You'll be fine. You just need to be home and away from those people." Amelia corrected as she bent to kiss him.

With their lips connected, Juice stood slowly and scooped Amelia up his arms. He shouldn't have known the house as well as he did but he'd seen the layout and memorized it during one drunken night years before. After one or two missteps Juice kicked open the door to Amelia's bedroom and looked around.

"It's nice." He said with a smile and red swollen lips from their constant kisses through the house.

"It's just been missing one thing."

The words were whispered between them as Juice gingerly laid her out on the mattress. "Not anymore." He smiled, kicking his boots off before sweetly removing her heels and kissing her ankles. "I've thought about this for years, I never thought I'd see you again." He climbed over her, tears in his eyes, and admitted his fears. It was something he hadn't done in so long he almost forgot how. "I thought you would have moved on or I don't know something." Embarrassed, he looked away but Amelia grabbed his face and force eye contact.

"I love you more than anything. I died that day; I died every day I woke up without you. I'm angry but you're here now and it's going to be okay. We'll figure it all out. We're our own little club," she winked, "Remember?" Sheepishly he smiled and nodded. "And the only thing I've moved on with is in that drawer." Her manicured nails tapped on the nightstand with an evil grin.

"You're not going to need that shit anymore."

He kissed her again, forceful yet passionate and loving, as his hands inched up under her skirt. Amelia's stomach jumped as his fingers grazed the lace of her panties before yanking them down to her knees.

"I'm kind of scared."

"It's just me." He assured her.

"Yeah, just you with the surprisingly large penis. Be gentle."

"I'm always gentle." Sitting up together, he unzipped her dress, chomping down on his lip as she wriggling out of the constrictive fabric. "You're beautiful, Amelia."

"I'm old." She added, working her quick fingers on his belt and helping him. They giggled the entire time as they awkwardly undressed, it felt so familiar yet new and even scary simultaneously.

"No you're not." He gently pushed her down onto her back and began kissing her. His lips moved from here to her neck and chest, lingering on her nipples for just a second longer.

Amelia whimpered and gasped as he kissed along her body making his way down to taste her again. As he ran his tongue along her Amelia tensed, her nails digging into his scalp, and Juice smiled. "You're so sweet." He said as he slipped a finger into her. "And you're fucking tight, Meels, shit."

"Shut up." She said lifting her hips toward him desperately.

Grinning like the Cheshire Cat Juice went back to work, lapping at her and circling her clit with his tongue the exact way he knew she loved. She did, she loved it and the fact he remembered. Her hips bucked as he worked at her slowly.

"I need you," she managed to say. "Make love to me, please. I'll return the favor, I swear, but right now I need you, JC."

"It's fine." He said, moving up her body again. "I don't want that, not right now, I just want you."

Lifting her right leg and wrapping it around his waist, Juice inched into her carefully watching her expression for any pain or uncertainty. His eyes rolled back in his head and he let out a little grunt as he built up a slow pace inside her. Amelia felt a few tears roll down to her ear, it hurt but she was crying for a completely different reason. She moaned, her hands gripping his back, and prayed silently that it wasn't all a dream.

"I love you." He said, petting her cheek, "I'll never leave you again."

—

When Cora arrived home with Scout, Opie and Mae were already seated at the kitchen table. She stopped halfway through the door and looked at them suspiciously.

"Uhh, hey guys."

"Sit." Opie said pointing to the two chairs directly across from him and Mae. "We gotta talk."

Scout and Cora exchanged a look, a terrified look, and took their seats. Neither wanted to sit that close to their father but Scout was too fast and nabbed the preferred spot across from Mae. He blamed her anyway; it was only fair she take the brunt of his anger.

"I found these, Cora." Mae slid the photos to her. "I was not snooping; I was cleaning up and saw them on your desk."

"Shit," she hissed and hung her head. "I'm sorry."

"Don't go through my stuff, ever," Opie started. "But maybe it's time we tell you some stories."

The kids' faces drained, shocked, at the very least, by the direction the conversation was taking. "Okay." Cora said hesitantly as if it might be a trick.

"My dad was in a motorcycle club, raised me into it, he raised me into a criminal." As he spoke, Mae laid her hand over his supportively. "Those guys were my family." Tapping the photo of the club, most of them anyway, the truth of how screwed up his life was slapped him in the face.

Seeing he wasn't going to keep going Mae took over. "When I was in New York, I was into drugs, heavily, so I tried to get clean and went out to California. It took a while but I did it," she left out a few major details for their sake and her own. "And not long after I met your dad. I worked with Kenny and Ellie after their mother was killed, that's how we first met."

"She was killed by my club," Opie added. "Because they thought I was going to the cops."

Scout's bright green eyes went dark and Cora simply looked away unable to face her father in such an emotionally vulnerable moment. She felt awful she pushed him to do this.

"So that's why you left?" Scout stuttered.

"No." Opie hated himself. Even a seventeen-year-old boy knew what he didn't as a grown man at the time. "We stayed, your mom worked and I ran guns with the club among other shit and we had you two. This guy," Opie pointed out Jax to the kids. "He was my best friend, we grew up together, our dads started the club. He started lying and I realized I couldn't trust him. I'm not going into the details, guys, you'd never understand but I left Charming with your mom and you to you wouldn't live the life I did Scout."

"And the last thing I wanted for you Cora was to fall in love with one of them. I got lucky," she smiled at Opie. "But I suffered a lot as a result of loving your dad. We didn't want any of that for either of you."

"The club is dangerous." Opie spoke in a warning tone scaring his children. "Drugs, guns, arson; we kept it all a secret to protect you."

Stunned into silence the children nodded. "Okay." Cora muttered. "I'm sorry."

"Promise us you won't dig anymore?" Mae asked.

"I swear," Cora said adamantly. "Scout never did, it was all me."

"I knew it," Opie laughed. "We love you guys, even when your little shits."

"You have no idea how much we love you and your siblings." Mae added with a teary smile.

"I love you too, Mom." Scout said quickly as he stood to hug her. "May I be excused?" He asked with a hard look at Cora.

"Both of you," Opie nodded. "Unpack your stuff and start your laundry."

"I love you guys." Cora said as they bolted up the steps with their bags and finally felt able to breathe. "Shit, I thought we were dead."

"Yeah, Cor, me too," Scout sighed. "No more of that shit. Don't text or call that fucking guy. You heard them; I can't believe we went out there."

"I won't. This was a huge mistake."

—

Juice and Amelia laid wrapped up together in bed when the front door opened. Juice heard it, always on edge and paranoid especially after he'd run, and listened carefully.

"Mom?" Gabriel shouted out.

"He's home." She gasped, sitting up quickly, and looked at Juice with fear in her eyes. "I don't even know what to say."

"I don't know. Just go down and talk to him, don't tell him yet."

"Mom?" The steps creaked and Amelia began to panic.

"I'm getting changed. Give me one second, sweetie." She looked at Juice and whispered. "I'll tell him soon, just sleep now okay, you need to rest."

"Yeah, I do." Grabbing his gun from the floor, he slipped it under the pillow.

"Do you really need that?"

"I feel like I do," he admitted. "Helps me sleep."

"Okay, I'll knock first then."

They kissed quickly and Amelia hurried to get dressed and greet her son. She left and Juice smiled contentedly under the sheets. "How was camping?" He heard her ask from the hall and Juice shook his head. He still had to tell Amelia the secret.

 

 


	20. Chapter 20

 

Thomas leaned against the cinder block wall in the far corner of TM as he typed out a message to Cora. The night before she sent him a short text but he hadn't been able to reply right away.

_"Glad you're home safe and your old man didn't suspect anything. Hope you're not too bored now."_

Smiling sweetly, Thomas slipped his phone away and headed into the office for coffee. "Shit stunts your growth you know." Abel muttered darkly as he poured some sugar into his own.

"I don't think I'm growing much anymore. How was the run up north?"

Abel shrugged and glanced out front where Chibs and Tig were talking conspiratorially. "Boring. Girls weren't bad though, I had fun."

"Jesus, is anything just work for you?"

Abel grinned and sipped his coffee slowly. "Hey, they came up to me, I can't help it."

"Whatever. Glad you're in one piece, brother." Thomas said as he and Abel hugged with one arm for a brief moment. "This fucking Chevy," he jabbed his thumb back over his shoulder, "Is killing me. Can you take a look and tell me what I'm missing?"

"You're with me today. Put your cut on and leave the Chevy to the legit mechanics."

Thomas looked at his big brother bewildered but nodded and changed from his TM shirt to his cut. "So what's the deal with this?" He asked quietly almost unsure if he should pry.

"Dad thinks it's time. I'll be stepping up soon, taking VP, and when he's done and I take the gavel there's only one guy I want at my left."

"Really?"

Thomas was far from a screw up, he was intelligent, a quick thinker and extremely empathetic but he didn't exactly fall in line. He questioned the club, much like his father, but Thomas started that earlier than Jax ever did. He was the kind of man the club needed, the man who would bring them back to their glory but no one saw it.

"Yeah," Abel said emphatically. "This is the Teller's club, we run it and we always will."

-

"You picked a weekend to go North." Chibs said as he greeted Tig before he'd even gotten off his bike. "We need to talk."

Tig's nose scrunched as he brushed his bushy, graying, hair back from his eyes. "What's going on?"

"Ope's kids were here, Gabriel too."

"Gabe?" Visibly shaken by the news and distraught he had missed a chance to see his only grandchild; Tig sank back and leaned on the side of his bike. "Does Jax know?"

"He saw them, talked to them briefly." Quickly, Chibs gestured to the spot they had the short confrontation. "He didn't tell me if he does but Tiggy, those kids, there's no way he didn't know."

Rubbing his palm briskly over his face Tig groaned. "Does this put her at risk?"

"I can't get in his head; if I push he'll know I'm questioning him."

"I'm too old for this shit." Tig snapped.

"Aye, brother, me too." As Abel and Thomas strolled by them, both waving with a nod at their older comrades, Chibs had an idea. "Thomas ain't though."

"He doesn't know about that shit."

"No, but he and Cora spent the whole weekend together."

Tig rolled his eyes. "That's a hookup no one wants to happen but we know he's a goddamn romantic."

"Exactly."

Tig and Chibs watched the Teller boys hop on their bikes and head out on a long list of errands and an even longer list of topics for Abel to pick his little brother's brain about.

-

"I need you to call Mae."

Tara pursed her lips and looked at Jax, her face showing her annoyance, and waited for an explanation. There was only one woman in his life now that could make him feel like such a child, anxious and heartsick, and it was Tara.

"She got out, I just wish I wasn't so angry when she left or I would have given her a proper goodbye. I look back now and I see, clearer than ever, the way things were." The tension was suffocating and Jax kept dodging eye contact.

"I know but her kids were here this weekend and I need to know why."

"What?" Tara's face fell and the color drained from her cheeks. "There's no way she knew, Jax you know she'd never let those two out here, Opie either."

Sneering as Tara said the name Jax nodded. "What if they wanted to hurt us or our boys?"

"They don't want to hurt our boys," she snapped. "Don't play that card with me Jax." Disgusted by him, she stood and turned her back, her eyes gazing out the kitchen window. "If Opie or Mae wanted to hurt SAMCRO they could have fifteen years ago."

"You wish you went with her, don't you?"

Nodding, she didn't dare meet his stare. "At least I would have known Abel and Thomas wouldn't have started on the road to become what you are." She laughed, a dark short chuckle, and turned to look at him. "I was so blind but it served you, you got what you wanted, our boys with the reaper on their backs."

"I didn't get everything I wanted," Jax stood sadly. "You ever think it could be different?"

"If you didn't lie, if you loved your family more than that club, I know it could have been."

-

Amelia watched Gabe as he met Scout and Cora out front and the trio headed toward school. She didn't tell him, not yet, but they planned to as soon as they could. Juice had slept the entire day, through the night, only to wake up when Amelia's alarm went off. As soon as the kids drove off, she heard him leave the bedroom and head to the shower. It was surreal; she was almost unable to believe she'd slept with him, cuddled impossibly close. They promised each other they it wouldn't end the way it had in Charming but Juice and Amelia knew it was going to get worse before they could finally have what they ached for all these years.

It was later than she planned to call, earlier would have been better as it guaranteed he'd be alone but she couldn't manage emotionally until almost lunchtime on the west coast. Using the number Juice scribbled down for her Amelia listened to the ringing, Juice supportively by her side eating the breakfast she'd made for him. Her heart jumped to her throat when Tig answered.

"Yeah?" He sounded older but she'd never mistake the voice.

"Daddy," her voice broke. "It's me. We have to talk."

-

Tara watched Jax pull out of her driveway and immediately went to her phone. The two had shared one conversation over the years but it was so long ago Tara feared she'd have changed her number by then. Thankfully she hadn't but Mae was already at work by the time Tara called. Her voicemail picked up and Tara took a deep breath.

"Mae, it's Tara. I know, long time, you should give me a call. I think it's time we catch up."


	21. Chapter 21

"Amelia?" Tig asked in disbelief as he jogged from his spot to a much more secluded area. "Baby girl, are you okay?"

Just the worry and conversely the joy in his voice broke her. Amelia sniffled as she tried to hide her crying, Juice's hand rubbing up and down her back rhythmically hoping to soothe her in even the most minuscule of ways. "I'm okay but I need your help."

"Anything," he spoke in a whisper but the words were strong. "Anything, you know that. Is it about Gabe? Is he okay?" As he spoke Tig popped a cigarette into his mouth and quickly lit up.

"No, not Gabe, we're all okay." Her eyes darted to Juice who smiled sweetly and nodded, they were finally okay and he'd be sure they stayed that way. "It's something else." It was terrifying to says aloud, despite trusting him with her life, because if somehow it got out the results would be disastrous. "Are you alone?"

Tig looked around, casual despite his anxiety and excitement, and nodded as he spoke. "I'm outside but there's no one too close."

"Daddy, Juice is here. He's here and he's staying here."

Exhaling slowly as the enormity of the situation pressed harder and harder on his chest, Tig closed his eyes and moved ever farther away from the others. "Amelia, that's dangerous." He said in a low, warning tone. "It's dangerous for all three of you."

"We know, which is why I called you. I don't think you know how bad it was for him or for us." She spoke softly, almost embarrassed to admit she'd suffered for so long. "I'll die before he goes back. It's wrong, what Jax did, it's terrible and no one even knows the full story. Please, Daddy, we need your help."

She was right, Tig didn't know how bad it was for either of them. He kept his distance from Juice over the years as much as he could, it was too painful and it made him too angry knowing what had happened.

It didn't matter what he said or how he tried to convince her, Amelia and Juice were going to do it, Tig was actually surprised it took so long. He didn't know though, the way Jax manipulated and scared Juice, he didn't know the depth of it all. If doing this, which was always inevitable, would make them happy, Tig knew he had to help. He also knew whoever Jax had become he was no longer the man any of them knew or wanted. "You know it won't be as easy as Juice saying he's out, you better have a plan and the longer he's there now, the more dangerous it's gonna be."

"I know." She whispered, scared of the fallout. "He's flying back out this evening, I think. Please help him."

"Can I see you?" He asked in a moment of sheer weakness. "Please, Meels, you're my little girl. I miss you."

Looking at Juice, her lips set in a deep frown, Amelia already knew this was what she'd have to do. "Yeah, I'm coming back with him."

"No." Juice slammed his palms down on the table. "You're staying here with Gabe, I need to know you're safe."

"I'm safer with you," she spoke with her hand over the phone. "I'm never safer than when I'm with you."

\--

"I heard you didn't spend your weekend alone." Abel said casually as they arrived at the gun warehouse. "People talk." It was a much needed explanation, he knew Thomas would ask and it cut that question off at the knees.

"Bunch of gossip whores, swear to Christ." The words were lighthearted but Thomas' back went up when Abel mentioned it. "Yeah, I was hanging with some tourist." He grinned a little and felt the urge to check if she'd texted him back. "Needed a tow and it went from there."

Laughing uproariously, Abel gave his little brother a series of hard thumps to the shoulder. "You gotta stop getting all turned around over a piece of gash. We got business, you need your head in the game."

"I'm in the game. It wasn't like she was some skanky crow eater, she was cool." Thomas had that glint in his eye, Abel remembered it when he's first started dating his crush back in high school. That didn't end well and neither would this but Abel was sure Thomas wouldn't be the one hurting.

"Yeah, let me guess, you hit her up, didn't you? Let them come to you."

Thomas, frustrated and embarrassed, shook his head and pushed open the barn door to see some prospects and the newer generation of Sons. "Stop worrying about my dick. My head is here, I'm in it, so back off."

"Alright," Abel said sternly. "Let's get to it then. Six crates going out tonight, guns and coke, start loading."


	22. Chapter 22

Mae had her phone on her desk when Tara called. She stared at the screen, petrified, and waited until the voicemail notification popped up. She played the message twice, the vague but ominous words chilling her deeply, before shoving the phone away. She couldn't do anything about it right then, she needed Opie to guide her and keep her from breaking down. The last thing Mae wanted to sound to Tara was as if she was scared and without Opie, it was a guarantee.

"Are you home?" Mae asked with her cell jammed between her ear and shoulder, as she raced home.

Opie had just walked in the door from work, having taken a half day, and was surprised to hear she was driving. "Yeah, I'm about to shower. Is everything alright?"

"No." She said forcefully. "Nothing is alright, Ope. Tara called me and left a message about  _catching up_."

She was scared, he could hear it in her voice, and Opie was feeling it right there with her but his fear was lessened by the brewing anger. The club still had the power to send Mae into such a tailspin and he was enraged by that.

"Alright, calm down." He spoke soothingly. "When you get home we'll handle it."

"Okay," she uttered sadly. "Go shower, I'll be there soon."

—

Perched on the edge of their hope chest at the end of their bed, Mae locked and unlocked her phone screen obsessively. "Why?" She asked pleadingly as Opie threw an old t-shirt on and some boxers. "Why after all these years is she calling me to talk?" She voice was high as she began to rant and panic. "Christ, I feel like I'm back in Charming as that stupid, naïve little girl. I though I grew a fucking backbone after we left, while we were leaving, clearly I'm still that malleable sap I always was."

"Mae." Opie sat beside her, the bed tilting down and pulling her against him, and still her hands. "You're not a sap, it's gonna be okay, don't let them do this to you."

Disbelieving, she nodded and freed her hands from Opie's strong grip to call Tara. The phone barely rang once before the call was answered.

"Mae," Tara said with a smile as she shut her office door. "Thank you for calling me."

The call was on speaker, Mae leaned her head on Opie's shoulder. "Of course. Look, I'm not really interested in catching up, as you said, I just want to know what prompted the call."

It was expected and exactly what Tara would have said if the roles were reversed but sadly they were not. "Yeah, I get that. My Thomas had an interesting weekend."

"Okay," Mae's eyes were scrunched as she tried to understand the significance. "I'm not sure what that has to do with me."

Tara took no joy from telling Mae or Opie about their children but she knew she had to. "I had a visit this morning from Jax, he said he's concerned and I know he doesn't exactly understand Thomas. He mentioned you and Opie, he wanted information, he wanted me to call you and I refused."

"Can you cut to the goddamn point, Tara?" Mae snapped, her little foot stomping as she stood and paced their bedroom. "None of what you're saying makes any sense."

Taken aback by her reaction, Tara was actually at a loss for words but only for a moment. "Thomas spent the weekend with Cora. Your Cora. Scout was here too and Gabe. He's worried that Thomas might be questioning everything, as he should, and he thinks Cora was your little spy."

"Cora?" Mae asked, her voice trembling, as she looked at Opie with horror all over her face. "My babies were in Charming?"

"I'm sorry. This isn't a fact finding mission for Jax, we're not together anymore." Tara's head fell involuntarily as she mourned the love and the man who, in her heart, was dead. "I hate what he's become and what he's molded my children into, but I know Mae, I know you didn't send those kids out here. I don't have the heart to tell Amelia, after Juice, but she needs to know too."

Shaking and leaning back on the dresser, Mae shook her head, unable to speak, and handed the phone to Opie. "Tara, it's me."

"I'm sorry, Ope. You were right, you guys were right about Jax."

—

Gabe came in through the kitchen door, tossing his school bag on the floor, to find his mother giggling in the other room. He drew his head back, listening closely, but suddenly she appeared in the doorway between the dining room and living room.

"Hey sweetie. How was school?"

"It was fine. Is someone here?"

Amelia laughed and waved her hand. "Sit, I need to talk to you."

Instantly his heart began to race, thinking she'd found out about his trip, which she would soon, but this was far different from that. "Is everything okay?"

"It is, everything is okay, but I got some news that I have to share with you." Across the table, she took his hands and forced a smile. "I have to preface this, I have to tell you that whatever you think or feel, I did not know about this."

"Mom, you're freaking me out." He pulled his hand away and looked at her, she seemed different but he couldn't articulate why or how.

"Shit," she whispered. "There's no other way to say this, Gabe." She stopped; unsure she could actually do it, and began to explain it all without giving him the truth. "He was given an ultimatum and he did what he had to in order to protect us."

"You know Mom, I'm so sick of hearing that." The jealousy that surfaced in Charming was coming to a head, mixed with sorrow and anger but they all masked the truth of how he was feeling. Gabriel loved the father he never met, he missed him every day and he hated what happened with every bit of him.

"What?" Amelia and Juice reacted similarly. Although he was silent, his head moved back and his breath caught in his throat just like Amelia's.

"Whatever the hell he did, or had to do, was selfish. Why did he wait? If all these people were so bad, if you couldn't trust anyone, why didn't he just take us and run?"

Amelia's chin quivered as she a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't imagine how much Juice was hurting as he stood in the living room listening to the conversation. It stung, to say the least, but Juice understood the anger as he lived it for years after his own father left. He just hoped Gabriel could understand and would see the truth; it was far from abandonment and Juice never once stopped loving him.

"You don't understand, baby, that was our family. These people they were all we had."

"You had me; you shoulda just left that fucking place."

"Gabriel," Amelia snapped. "Stop."

"I don't care about Dad." He said with a fire and sadness in his eyes she hadn't seen before. "Uncle Harry's alive, he took Aunt Mae and their kids and he left. He's alive and he's all happy with his kids and his wife but we're not, we're not happy, Mom."

"Gabriel, you have NO idea what you're talking about."

"I think I do." He stood and headed back toward the kitchen intent on storming out but Amelia called out and stopped him cold.

"Your father is not dead, Gabriel." Amelia felt Juice suddenly beside her. "He's alive and he's here."

Gabriel did stop, he didn't want to, he wanted run but his feet were suddenly cemented to the kitchen tile. "What?"

"I'm sorry." Juice said as he looked at Gabriel, destroyed by the truth just as Chibs said. "I didn't have a choice. I had to protect you two."

"You always have a choice."

The words were crushing to both of his parents. It was something Juice said to Amelia when they were working through the emotional fallout from the brick and the murder of Miles and she used it repeatedly while raising their son.

"I guess I made the wrong one." Juice said as he began to break down. "Gabriel, I'm sorry."

"You should just go back to Charming. We don't need you here."

"Gabriel Alexander," Amelia, for the first time, wanted to slap him. "Don't dare speak to your father like that." She stopped, as the truth settled over her, and looked at her son with such palpable disappointment. "How do you know about Charming?"

"He was there," Juice admitted. "I followed him, I made sure he was safe, Meels."

"You went to Charming?" Amelia almost couldn't say the words. "Why? How could you do that?"

Ignoring her, Gabriel looked at Juice, his anger still surging but softening, and shook his head. "Why didn't you take us away?" He asked looking pained and pitiful as he began to cry. "Why didn't you just take us, Dad?"


End file.
